Why are Iraqis despising legislative elections in the country?

Political affairs of the middle east have for years become a talking point for the majority of the world. This is major because when we talk about the political aspects of the region, it is not limited to that particular country’s affairs rather it is dominated by international pressure and interference. 

Hence when the Iraqi administration announced parliamentary elections, a democratic process, people were as concerned as they were happy. Even though the princess means that people will be able to express their opinions through their choice, it also means that a lot of other things in the country will be sidelined due to the elections. 

One of the things that have already started to fade away from the memory of the Iraqi population is the death of an activist whose murderers are still unpunished. The call to boycott these elections soon caught fire on social media as denial of justice irked people leading them to announce boycotts. 

This is not the only reason why people are jumping the guns on elections. The Iraqi population is not sure if any leader is worth their trust anymore. There have been several cases of corruption, which have been conveniently hidden, handing over powerful regions to pro-Iranian militia outlets and many more. 

Violence has not seen an end in the country. The country's firing, differences between regional powers, and attacks on civilians are the reasons why people have stopped trusting the government. It is the sheer disappointment that the present government of Iran has brought to its people that they have decided to boycott these legislative elections altogether. 

One of the reports in the media revealed that people are not even aware of the programs of the benefits that the government has announced. 

“I see the politicians’ posters in the street, but I don’t know the names of the programs,” said a 23-year-old man. Even his friends believe that most of the leaders offer similar programs and promises but none of them are fulfilled. 

Iraq is one of the most troubled countries in the world. With almost two decades of war and insurgency post the US invasion, the country also experienced a horrible history with long-time ruler Saddam Hussein. There have been numerous promises to bring justice, order, and freedom but the residents are no more sure who to trust. 

Before the Covid-19 outbreak, the public had done a lot of protests and demonstrations showing their displeasure for the Iraqi government. They shouted against the corrupt, sectarian political system, where they did not know who was answerable to them. 

The state security force has also been acting against them, of course on order from the political leaders. The elections were originally due to be held in 2022 but were moved ahead to June 2021 and then again to a later month of October. The change happened because of continuous protests and displeasure from the public as well as growing coronavirus cases. 

The Public of Iraq is of the view that there is no way a transparent election practice can happen in the country. “The money of politicians dominates, there is a proliferation of weapons in all the constituencies. Whoever has the weapons will win,” said one of the potential voters, who vowed not to cast his vote.