Al Mada reported that Nuri al-Maliki and his State of Law list are pushing a Baathist threat to Iraq once again. There are claims that up to 500 candidates will be banned by the Accountability and Justice Commission for their Baathist ties and that there are 27,000 former regime members within the government. A parliamentarian told Al Mada that these accusations are being exaggerated. This is a tried and true theme of Maliki and his followers. They most infamously used it in the 2010 election when hundreds of people were struck from lists for their connections to Saddam.
This is a reaction to Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani’s strong position before this year’s election. In July Sudani announced his Reconstruction and Development list which is the largest before the vote with 53 MPs. The premier is talking about the security in the country and the provision of services. Sudani points to the end of the insurgency and all the projects he has commissioned.
Maliki is Sudani’s main rival this year and wants to be prime minister again. He is promoting a Baathist theme as a result. It will be interesting to see whether this works as effectively as it did in the past as its been over two decades since the fall of Saddam and the common people have much more pressing issues like the economy than worrying about Baathists. At the same time the ruling parties control all levers of the state, much of the media and have large electronic armies which might be able to get the public riled up over a false threat.
SOURCES
Bas News, “Al-Sudani Forms Largest Parliamentary Bloc Ahead of November Election,” 7/12/25
Al Mada, “Alliances move between Al-Sudani and Al-Maliki’s boats, awaiting Al-Sadr’s compass,” 3/4/25
- “Election campaigns warn of a coup and the return of Baath elements,” 8/10/25
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