Comments on: Provincial Elections Law Revisions in Iraq

By: Reidar Visser

Reidar Visser — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 13:17:36 +0000

For the record, here are the changes to the law which parliament finally published today:

Contents are mainly as reported in the press, i.e. no changes to seat distribution key, added minority seats for Turkmens (Baghdad) and Fayli Kurds (Baghdad and Wasit). Also some qada-level minority seats, including some representation for the Sabaeans in the far south around Basra.

By: Christian

Christian — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 04:55:18 +0000

“This is an ironic reminder, then, about how State of Law and Iraqiyya could have got things done in parliament if their leaders could just hate each other a little less.”

Wonderful point. The obvious politics in the fracking elections law of all things is testament to this.

Now how about that Oil and Gas Law any time soon?

By: Reidar Visser

Reidar Visser — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 23:26:34 +0000

Mohammed, the personal vote is as far as I know still separate, i.e. an option for the voter to promote a favourite rather than a precondition for winning a seat. The problem is not as acute in the local elections. The problem in the parliamentary elections was the compensation seats, which enabled people like the Sadrists to promote a candidate from a governorate that was irrelevant to them (Kurdistan) with 5 personal votes (and less than the eletoral divider for the list) to a seat. That combination stinks in democratic theory. But in the provincial elections there are no compensation seats.

Disconcertingly, parliament has failed to publish the law on its website, 4 days after it was adopted!

By: Mohammed

Mohammed — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 16:25:11 +0000

Hi Reidar:

Does the election law stipulate any minimum number of votes that a candidate must have before receiving “party” block votes? So if somebody is running for office but is known to be an incompetent dishonest person (pretty much all of iraq’s politicians!), and he only gets 1 vote (presumably voting for himself), can he still win the seat by virtue of being a loyal party insider and receive the excess party votes?

Besides the issues with the supreme court, it also looks like Sistani has pretty much been silent for almost a couple of years now on the issue of elections. He previously was vocal when he thought certain election procedures would be un-democratic or shady (like having closed lists).

very disappointing.

regards,
M