2013 Iraqi governorate elections

Electoral Law

There have been several disputes about the electoral law that is to be used for the election. The current electoral law, which was also used in the 2009 election, states that if certain parties don't get enough votes, their votes and seats are given to the larger parties. In the 2009 election this led to many smaller parties failing to take any seats. Because of the disproportionate affect this law had on smaller parties, the Supreme Court of Iraq declared the law unconstitutional, as it restricted democracy.

In spite of this ruling, and mostly due to the fact that because the law benefits the largest parties they have little incentive to change it, the law has yet to be changed. If not changed, the unconstitutional nature of the law however would make the 2013 election results vulnerable to a legal challenge. As a result, although this does not currently effect the work of the Independent High Electoral Commission, IHEC has been calling on the Iraqi government to pass changes to the law.

In response to this, on 13 December 2012 the Iraqi parliament voted to adopt the Sainte-Laguë method as the new electoral method.

Participants

Parties and candidates wishing to stand for election had to register by the deadline of 25 November 2012. By the time of the deadline 243 entities, including 16 independent candidates, had registered, with some of the entities registering to participate for the first time. As a result of the large number of applications submitted for the registration of political coalitions for the election, IHEC decided to extend the deadline for submissions from the 13th to the 18th of December.

One of the biggest changes to the political coalitions taking part is the fact that the State of Law Coalition has expanded from its traditional supporters, with former opponents such as the Badr Organization, the National Reform Trend, the Islamic Virtue Party, and the secular Shiite White Iraqiya Bloc all joining the coalition for the election. Despite the massive size of the coalition, it is exclusively Shiite.

According to IHEC, a total of 8,224 candidates registered to run in the elections, including 131 candidates who have since been barred by IHEC from running due to their ties to the Iraqi Ba'ath Party.

Preliminary results

According to preliminary results from the 12 governorates were elections were held, Nouri al-Maliki's expanded State of Law Coalition would come in first place with 115 seats, second would come ISCI with 80 seats and Sadr Movement would win 50.

With 87-90% of the vote counted, the results were as following:

Results

Total seats

[[Al Anbar Governorate]]

Main article: 2013 Al Anbar governorate election

[[Babil Governorate]]

Main article: 2013 Babil governorate election

Baghdad Governorate

Main article: 2013 Baghdad governorate election

Basra Governorate

Main article: 2013 Basra governorate election

[[Dhi Qar Governorate]]

Main article: 2013 Dhi Qar governorate election

[[Diyala Governorate]]

Main article: 2013 Diyala governorate election

[[Karbala Governorate]]

Main article: 2013 Karbala governorate election

Maysan Governorate

Main article: 2013 Maysan governorate election

Muthanna Governorate

Main article: 2013 Al Muthanna governorate election

[[Najaf Governorate]]

Main article: 2013 Najaf governorate election

[[Nineveh Governorate]]

Main article: 2013 Nineveh governorate election

[[Al-Qādisiyyah Governorate]]

Main article: 2013 Al-Qādisiyyah governorate election

[[Saladin Governorate]]

Main article: 2013 Saladin governorate election

[[Wasit Governorate]]

Main article: 2013 Wasit governorate election

References

References

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