Iraq parliamentary election is scheduled to be held on Friday May 18. The election is held in a country whose Arab neighbors either do not hold an election or their elections are in fact voting.
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The result of this election and the eventual political array is indeed important for Iraq, regional and international players. Parliamentary election in Iraq is one of the rare phenomena which will promise a unified and solid country. It is quite determinant for the country due to joint participation of three major communities of Shia, Sunni and Kurds and also following two major turns: first the topple of Daesh established on Saudi and Emirati funds besides the support by the evil axis of the US, UK, Israel and France and second failure of struggles to divide Kurdistan region from Iraq.
Apparently pro-Daesh groups and supporters of a divided Kurdistan are in motion in a bid to assist with special parties to gain enough seats in the parliament and maintain their role in future of the country.
Campaigns for Iraq parliamentary elections have begun last Saturday. 7187 candidates from 188 parties in 27 political coalitions are competing in a campaign that has blanketed the whole country, especially Baghdad and major cities in posters and billboards promoting different candidates and their coalitions. 24 million Iraqis are eligible to vote and will be attending the polling stations to choose 328 representatives in 18 provinces.
Posters and other propagating means apparently reveal which candidates, groups and coalitions are spending more generously. Wealthier coalitions appear on more noticeable spots on junctions and major passage ways while candidates with limited means are propagated in less visible spaces. Although these smaller and less privileged coalitions are active in social networks, unfortunately their narrow street propagandas are washed away in rain or wind. Indeed another point is the organized moves to target pictures and posters of certain candidates right after their installment. Police believes that some minor adolescents provoked by particular political parties should be behind the vandalism.
The expenses spent by each candidate in order to gain a seat in Iraq parliament is also a focal point for both the people and political groups. According to the law the candidates are eligible to spend an average sum of 250 Iraqi Dinars (21 cents) per voter. In other words, in Baghdad with a population of 4'000'000 people each candidate is allowed to spend up to $1million to present himself. Everybody is silent on the source funding these campaigns. There are rumors on huge Saudi and Emirati funds allocated for certain people, groups and coalitions though no official data has been revealed yet.
An unpleasant aspect of these electoral campaigns which has irked families of martyrs is removal of pictures and symbols of martyrs in anti-Daesh battle to install the electoral posters by some candidates and political parties; hence, disrespecting the martyrs and hurting the feelings of their families. Although city councils are notifying the political parties and their candidates the general criticism is that the to-be lawmakers have already begun violating the law long before they are empowered with a parliamentary seat. The question raised by the public is how the candidates can resist power temptations to defend the rights of people after they take a seat in the parliament.
