Iraq holds parliamentary elections under tight security amid Sadrist boycott

The election is taking place against the backdrop of major shifts in the region over the past two years — including the wars in Gaza and Lebanon after the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel, the Israel-Iran war in June, and the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad last December.

These developments come as US pressure intensifies on the Iraqi government to curb the influence of Iran-aligned armed factions, some of which have candidates participating in Tuesday’s vote.

The popular Sadrist Movement, led by influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, is boycotting the polls. Al-Sadr’s bloc won the largest number of seats in the 2021 election but later withdrew after failed negotiations over forming a government, amid a standoff with rival Shiite parties. He has since boycotted the political system.

At the entrance to Sadr City —a sprawling stronghold of the Sadrist movement on the outskirts of Baghdad— security was noticeably tighter than in other parts of the Iraqi capital. Iraqi special forces and federal police were deployed across the area, with armoured vehicles and Humvees stationed along the main roads, manned by heavily armed soldiers.

A large banner showed al-Sadr wearing military fatigues and holding a weapon, with the words, “My people in Sadr City are boycotting.” On a main Sadr City street, all shops were shuttered, and posters of slain Sadr loyalists lined the walls.

Polling station were open but were almost completely empty. At one, which serves 3,300 voters, station director Ahmed al-Mousawi said a few hours into the balloting that fewer than 60 people had voted.

“The Sadrist boycott has had a major impact,” he said. “In previous elections, there used to be long lines from the early morning hours, but today the difference is dramatic.”

Sabih Dakhel, a 54-year-old voter who came with his wife, said they had decided to vote in hopes that new elected officials might improve living conditions for people like them.

“We were able to vote freely today, but the Sadrist boycott has deeply affected participation,” Dakhel said. “Sadr City feels almost like a lockdown because of Muqtada al-Sadr’s call for his followers to stay home.”

The election results could also face legal challenges. The head of Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council wrote in a statement published on the council’s website that the election date set for Tuesday is unconstitutional, noting that the vote was originally scheduled for Nov. 24.