Hundreds of Iraqis took to the streets in several governorates in the central and southern parts of the country on Sunday evening, protesting against the new proposed amendment to the electoral law.
The growing popular discontent aimed to force the parliament not to approve the draft amendment and reinstate the local councils in the governorates.
Activists issued angry statements threatening to escalate their moves in the coming days if the parliamentary political forces insist on amending the law.
The Central Committee in the Protesting Provinces, which are: Karbala, Najaf, Baghdad, Babel, Diwaniyah, Samawah, Dhi Qar, and Wasit, said that corrupt parties continue to ignore the people’s demands and suffering, and the religious authority demands to approve a fair and just electoral law.
It indicated that the Coordination Framework and its allies were close to approving the amendment that proposed implementing the Sainte-Lague method of parliament seat distribution.
The statement warned that most Iraqi provinces would take a unified stance to escalate their protests if their “rights and sufferings” get ignored.
According to Nouri al-Maliki, the forces of the Coordination Framework, especially the State of Law coalition, insisted on amending the law. At the same time, the opposition insisted on obstructing the amendment.
The Sadrist Movement and its allies succeeded at the end of 2020 in amending the election law and canceling the Sainte-Lague method.
A former lawmaker whose membership was terminated in the parliament, Mishaan al-Juburi, believed the current amendment mainly targets the Sadrist movement.
In July 2022, Sadr ordered his bloc to withdraw from parliament, rejecting the formation of a government under a sectarian quota supported by most political forces.
It is still being determined whether the Federal Parliament could return to discussing the amendment law at the beginning of next week, as scheduled, mainly that 70 deputies requested the law to remain unchanged.
In addition, the Sadrist Movement and some of its allies waived the possibility of resorting to protests.
Some observers expect increased tensions in the coming days after opposing parties demanded that local and provincial councils not return to work again.
The Iraqi parliament dissolved the provincial councils, formed according to the constitution, under the pressure of the widespread protests at the end of 2019.
The new amendment is supposed to allow the local council to hold elections in October.
Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi said that the great reluctance to participate in the elections is evidence of losing confidence in the political system.
Allawi said, in a letter of support he sent to Prime Minister Mohammad al-Sudani, that they aspired to live in a secure and stable Iraq where democracy, justice, and citizenship based on equality were solidified after the tireless efforts to overthrow the dictatorial regime and establish a fair political system.
The former PM warned that the situation had reached a dead end, noting that the people had lost their trust in the political process, and the peaceful protests since 2011 and small participation in the election are evidence of that, adding that there was a glimmer of hope urging the required change.
