Election “hype” begins early.. Al-Maliki insists on holding it and Al-Sudani prepares

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[size=52]Election “hype” begins early.. Al-Maliki insists on holding it and Al-Sudani prepares[/size]

[size=45]The State of Law Coalition, led by former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, is pushing to amend the election law, to ensure its political fortunes are strengthened, and to challenge the current Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.[/size]
[size=45]Iraq witnessed repeated changes in its electoral system during five legislative sessions, as the majority of those elections relied on the “Sainte-Lague” system with an equation of 1.7.[/size]
[size=45]As for the last elections held in 2021, they were held according to the “multi-district” system. However, this system did not last long, as the law was quickly amended at the behest of Al-Maliki five months after Al-Sudani assumed his current term, returning to adopting the “Sainte-Laguë” system once again.[/size]
[size=45]It did not occur to Al-Maliki that the current Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, might rise in stardom and gain great popularity, which might qualify him to form a parliamentary bloc in the upcoming elections, which means benefiting from the current new law.[/size]
[size=45]Al-Maliki said in a speech on Monday, "We must agree to submit a draft of the elections law, and we must clarify the election system, whether it is a single district or multiple districts, and whether there are early elections."[/size]
[size=45]He stressed that "the issue of adopting the unified card in the elections or the biometric card must be decided," noting that "participation in the elections is a duty and not just a right because the stability of the state depends on it."[/size]
[size=45]Al-Maliki called on “citizens to prepare the biometric card to participate in the elections. He also called on political blocs, government officials, and representatives to legislate laws related to the commission and electoral work,” demanding that “the commission expedite the granting of the biometric card to citizens.”[/size]
[size=45]Al-Maliki had said in a recent televised statement: “He submitted a request to Parliament Speaker Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani, regarding moving the law and amending it, according to a compromise system between the multiple constituencies and Saint-Laguë, in order to resolve the disputes surrounding it.”[/size]
[size=45]In turn, a source familiar with the discussions on amending the electoral law stated that “the aim of the new move is to choose a system that is in line with the current political reality and the shifts in the balance of power and influential figures.”[/size]
[size=45]He pointed out that "the general trend is towards keeping the governorate as a single electoral district, with the adoption of a mixed electoral system.[/size]
[size=45]The source added, "The proposed system consists of two parts, the first is based on the majority system with 20% of the seats, and the second is based on the Saint-Laguë proportional system with 80%."[/size]
[size=45]He pointed out that, “according to this concept, 20% of the seats in each district are allocated to the figures who receive the highest votes, without the possibility of using the surplus votes to support the electoral lists.[/size]
[size=45]The largest percentage, 80% of the seats, will be allocated to the Sainte-Laguë system, which allows for a wider distribution of votes among the participating lists and blocs.”[/size]
[size=45]For the first time, parliamentary circles in Iraq are discussing this type of law, especially since it is designed to strengthen the power of large parties and reduce the chances of small and independent parties.[/size]
[size=45]In turn, political analyst Salah Al-Kubaisi said, “The 2021 elections, which took place within the multi-constituency system, were a shock to some forces, as a number of independent representatives achieved positive results, at the expense of the large blocs.”[/size]
[size=45]Al-Kubaisi explained that “all that is currently being proposed to amend the elections law are discussions and ideas, not written projects under the dome of the Council.”[/size]
[size=45]He pointed out that "the large blocs and leaders are afraid of new transformations that may affect their situation and change the political map."[/size]
[size=45]If this system is adopted, party leaders and prominent figures will not benefit from the votes given to them in raising other figures on their lists to the House of Representatives, which raises questions about the participation of leaders of political forces and parties such as Hadi al-Amiri, Nouri al-Maliki and others.[/size]
[size=45]Al-Sudani represents a rival opponent to Al-Maliki, as he was a leader in the Dawa Party, and he was independent in many of his decisions from the latter, in addition to the fact that Al-Sudani has eaten away at the Dawa Party’s masses.[/size]
[size=45]Analyses indicate the possibility of Al-Sudani obtaining a parliamentary bloc of 20-25 representatives in the next parliament.[/size]
[size=45]Al-Sudani may be the first to be harmed by this amendment, if it is signed, as he will depend on the votes that go to him personally to form his parliamentary bloc, while most other forces depend on the votes of their candidates, not the votes of their leaders.[/size]
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