Iraq conducts parliamentary elections

11 Oct 2021

Iraq conducts parliamentary elections

Recommended for Middle Grades

Hey there! We have some interesting news to share with you. On Sunday, something important happened in Iraq. They had their parliamentary elections! It’s a big event where people get to choose their leaders and have a say in how their country is run.

The voting stations opened bright and early at 7 am and closed at 6 pm local time. But you know what? This time, not as many people went out to vote as they usually do. Can you believe it? Only 41% of the people who could vote actually cast their ballots, according to the Iraqi election commission. That’s one of the lowest turnouts they’ve had in years!

Important Details

Now, this is actually Iraq’s 5th parliamentary election since 2003. That’s when something significant happened. Saddam Hussein, who was the president of Iraq, had been in power for a very long time, from 1979 until 2003. But in 2003, a group of countries led by the United States decided to invade Iraq. They wanted to take away any weapons of mass destruction and put an end to Saddam Hussein’s support for terrorism.
Let us tell you something fascinating about these elections. There are 329 seats in the Iraq parliament, and this time, a whopping 167 political parties and over 3,200 candidates are participating! Wow, that’s a lot of people hoping to become leaders and make a difference.
Here’s another important detail: in the previous election held in 2018, the turnout was even a bit higher, at 44.5%. But this time, it seems like the current ruling elite, who are mostly Shia, are expected to win again. And there’s a movement led by a popular Shia Islam scholar named Moqtada al-Sadr that could become the biggest group in parliament.
We’re all eager to know the results of the elections, right? Well, they should be announced within the next 48 hours. But we’re not sure when they will choose a new prime minister. The current prime minister, Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, isn’t running this time, so it will be someone new.
You know, some people said that they didn’t vote because they feel like nothing has changed in their country. They also believe there’s a lot of corruption going on. It’s important for everyone to have faith in their leaders and trust that they will work hard for the betterment of the country.
We hope you found this information interesting. Remember, it’s important to stay informed about what’s happening around the world. Who knows, maybe one day you’ll even be a leader yourself, making a positive impact on your community!