Baghdad: The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) has outlined its mechanism for monitoring and addressing campaign violations committed by candidates running in the Iraqi Parliamentary Elections 2025, confirming that strict measures have been taken against violators, including high-ranking government officials.
According to National Iraqi News Agency, Commission spokesperson assistant Nebras Abu Soudah stated that any campaign materials placed in public streets before October 3 are considered clear legal violations. The Commission has acted on these cases based on complaints and monitoring reports received from its field teams.
Abu Soudah described the issue as a significant matter, indicating that the Commission has issued several decisions imposing financial fines on violators. Additional decisions are expected to be announced in the coming days, targeting prominent figures holding government positions. She emphasized that the measures have been applied universally, with no exceptions, and that the decisions have been officially published.
Regarding violations recorded after October 3, Abu Soudah explained that the Commission's monitoring teams continue to document and report these violations to the Municipality of Baghdad. While the legal authority for removing campaign materials from public spaces rests with the Municipality, the Commission's role is limited to imposing fines.
She also mentioned that field teams have documented numerous violations and are awaiting the Municipality of Baghdad's intervention to remove them in accordance with the law.
The Commission reported that, by the end of last week, a total of 400 violations had been recorded. Among these, 291 were committed by male candidates, 49 by female candidates, and 60 were early campaign violations related to the premature display of posters and campaign logos.
The Board of Commissioners had established October 3 as the official start of the election campaign for approved candidates, which is set to conclude at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 8.