Individuals Not Parties Banned From 2010 Iraqi Elections

When the original announcement was made in January 2010 that over five hundred candidates would be barred from running in the March elections, it was reported that fourteen parties would be banned as well. For example, not only was parliamentarian Saleh al-Mutlaq going to be stopped from running again for office, but his party, the National Dialogue Front was too. The justification was an order passed by the Coalition Provisional Authority in 2004 that gave the Iraqi Election Commission the authority to exclude parties. When the Commission announced the final decision of a seven-judge appeals panel however in mid-February, Mutlaq was still banned, but his list and all the others were cleared to participate. That was an important step, because if entire parties could be banned because of their leaders or candidates that would allow guilt by association to determine their fate. The campaign for the March elections has been completely distorted by the Baathist hysteria, but at least all the original parties will still be able to compete.

SOURCES

Aswat al-Iraq, “IHEC says blocs of Motlaq, Aani not excluded from election race,” 2/13/10

Inside Iraq, “Iraq bans 14 political blocs and its 400 politicians,” McClatchy Newspapers, 1/7/10

Visser, Reidar, “Mutlak and Ani Are Banned: Miscarriage of Justice in Iraq,” Iraq and Gulf Analysis, 2/11/10