Iraqi president proposes election safeguards to curb misuse of state resources

BAGHDAD — President Abdul Latif Rashid has submitted a set of eight proposals to Iraq’s Coordination Framework aimed at safeguarding the integrity of the Nov. 11 parliamentary elections and curbing the use of state resources for political gain.

The proposals, developed in coordination with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, include halting government appointments, suspending new welfare enrollments, and freezing residential land distribution across all governorates until after the vote.

“Given the use of appointments and contracts by some candidates to influence voters’ will, we propose halting these actions until the elections conclude,” Rashid said in a letter addressed to the Coordination Framework.

The Coordination Framework is a powerful alliance of predominantly Shia political factions and armed groups that holds significant influence over government policy and security matters.

Rashid also called for a pause on new admissions to social welfare programs, citing concerns that they may be exploited to win voter support. “Due to the expansion of social welfare beneficiaries, we propose suspending new enrollments until the elections are over,” he said.

Additional proposals include prohibiting ministries and provincial governments from issuing collective letters of appreciation, a practice Rashid said could be used to sway public opinion, and implementing controls to prevent state institutions from being used for campaign purposes.

The president also recommended that civil servants seeking election take paid or unpaid leave during the campaign period, and that senior officials be barred from leveraging their positions to support specific candidates.

To preserve neutrality in the security sector, he proposed suspending transfers of military personnel and members of the security services until the electoral process concludes.

“These steps are intended to ensure equal opportunity among candidates, and send a reassuring message to international observers,” Rashid wrote.

The proposals are expected to be discussed during an upcoming joint meeting of Iraq’s executive, legislative, and judicial presidencies. A date for the meeting has not yet been announced.