Democracy News

Over 500 Candidates Banned from Iraq elections
January 22, 2010
By: Benjamin Russell | Printer Friendly

Iraq’s Justice and Accountability Commission (JAC) has moved to exclude several hundred parliamentary candidates from running in March 7th’s election as part of a ban on former Baath party members and supporters’ participation in politics.  The move has garnered harsh criticism, particularly among Iraq’s Sunni community, which could be most adversely affected according to the New York Times.

Prominent Sunni politician, Suleh al-Muqlab, and the rest of his party were banned from the March 7th election earlier this month because of suspected ties to the Baathists, Saddam Hussein’s former supporters.  Foreign Policy is reporting that the JAC has now compiled a list, which may be released as early as Saturday, containing the names of over 500 candidates that they wish to be excluded from the elections.  In what the Los Angeles Times calls the “first official challenge” of the request, Iraqi president Jalal Talabani has asked the Iraqi Supreme Court to review the legality of the JAC’s actions.

According to Faraj al-Haidari, head of Iraq’s electoral commission, the number of Shiites and Sunnis on the list is roughly equal, but widespread fears remain that the legally questionable electoral maneuver could exacerbate tensions between the two Muslim sects. Reconciliation between the two continues to be a major priority for the US, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Sources:

New York Times – Anger over move to bar Sunni from Iraq elections
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/09/world/middleeast/09baghdad.html

Foreign Policy – Iraq’s politics of fear
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/01/18/iraqs_politics_of_fear

Wall Street Journal – Iraq to ban more candidates
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704509704575018601477067126.html?mod=WSJ_World_LEFTSecondNews

Los Angeles Times – Iraq’s president challenges ban on 511 candidates
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-iraq-election22-2010jan22,0,3230925.story