The Independent High Electoral Commission has announced the preliminary results of Iraq’s 2025 parliamentary elections, revealing that democratic civil forces did not gain any representation in the new parliament.

This is the first time since 2003 that the civil voice has been so widely excluded from Parliament, a dangerous indicator of the nature of the political, economic, and social environment in which the elections took place.

This exclusion does not target a specific party, but strikes at the heart of the democratic process itself, which has been transformed by the ethno-sectarian power-sharing system ("Muhasasa" or quota system) and corruption into a formal democracy devoid of substance, undermining the presence of all civil democratic forces that defend the building of a state of institutions.

We were aware of the circumstances leading up to this election and the structural imbalances surrounding the electoral process. Nevertheless, we contested the elections with high spirits and a sense of responsibility, believing in the necessity of defending the option of a democratic civil state and the people's right to an honest national alternative.

However, the outcome of the electoral process was a clear result of the dominance of political money and weapons, the “quota” system, the exploitation of influence, power, and state resources and its civil, military, and security institutions, and the fueling of sectarian, tribal, and regional tensions. This is what turned the electoral competition into an unequal race in which the same dominant forces and narrow interests were reproduced.

Other observations have been made on various technical and political issues, including the failure to implement any of the provisions of the Political Parties Law, the lack of transparency in election spending, the registration of a huge number of observers and the open buying of votes. In addition, there was the unequal treatment of civil forces, with many of their candidates being disqualified for no reason other than expressing their opinions, while none of the other parties were held accountable despite violating the constitution and the law. This extends to the method of calculating the level of turnout at the election by the Electoral Commission, the mobilization and rallying of voters in front of polling stations, and other methods of enticement and intimidation.

These practices were not hidden from anyone, but their scale this time clearly revealed the magnitude of the crisis our country is going through.

The outcome of these elections portends a difficult period of continued political, economic, and social deterioration, consolidating the monopoly of power and wealth in the hands of an influential minority, the spread of corruption in society and state institutions, and the continued proliferation of weapons outside the control of the state.

Despite all this, our Iraqi Communist Party extends its sincere thanks and appreciation to all the citizens who voted for the Party's candidates, and to all the volunteers in its election campaigns who expressed their belief in the project of democratic change. They represent the foundation of hope upon which we will build our continued struggle for social justice and genuine reform.

We reaffirm our determination to continue along this path, side by side with patriotic, democratic and progressive forces, to bring about the desired change and build a state of citizenship, equality, institutions, and human dignity.

We will also conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the elections and their results in order to reach appropriate conclusions for implementation in the near future.

The Central Committee

Iraqi Communist Party

13 November 2025