In a move that was not witnessed in previous election cycles, the Commission announced the exclusion of 627 candidates so far out of 7,440, in preparation for the parliamentary elections scheduled for November 11, 2025. The reasons for exclusion varied between their inclusion in “accountability and justice” (de-Baathification) procedures, numbering 290, and the presence of criminal restrictions (106), in addition to other violations related to forgery and lack of educational documents.

The Commission relies on official reports from competent authorities, such as the Ministry of Education and the Accountability and Justice Commission, to justify its decisions. Commission spokeswoman, Jumana Al-Ghalai, confirmed that all procedures are subject to appeal before the judicial body, noting that the Commission is the only body authorized to issue decisions related to the exclusion of candidates.

On the other hand, legal experts believe that the Commission has adopted a new approach in examining the eligibility of candidates, noting that exclusion includes those who have criminal restrictions or are subject to accountability and justice procedures, in addition to those who have statements that affect state institutions.

Expectations indicate that these exclusions may lead to a change in the political map, especially with the exclusion of prominent figures such as Haider Al-Mulla from the “Azm” coalition and Rakan Al-Jubouri, the former governor of Kirkuk. This step may contribute to reducing the influence of some political forces, which opens the way for new forces to participate in the political process.

In previous election cycles, exclusions were limited to individual cases. In this session, the exclusions included large numbers of candidates, which raises questions about the extent of this step’s impact on the integrity and transparency of the elections.

While some see these exclusions as a necessary step to ensure the integrity of the elections, others question their political motives and their impact on the participation of various political forces. It remains to be seen what the outcome of the judicial appeals and the final decisions of the Commission will be in the coming days.