Iraqi governorate elections, 2008

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Iraq
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Governorate elections are expected to be held in Iraq in late 2008.

1 Provincial Powers Act
2 Opinion Polls
3 Disqualification moves
4 References

[edit] Provincial Powers Act

Further information: Government of Iraq from 2006

In February 2008, the Council of Representatives of Iraq passed the Provincial Powers Act by a majority of one, which detailed the respective powers of the governorates, regions and the federal government. It included powers for the Prime Minister to dismiss a governor. The Act required a Provincial Elections Law to be passed within the next 90 days and for elections to be held no later than 1 October 2008.

The Presidency Council initially referred the law back, saying it did not comply with the constitutional rights of governorates. It was reported that vice President Adil Abdul-Mahdi, whose Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council party is strong in many southern Iraqi governorate councils, particularly objected. ^[1] ^[2] However, the Council reversed its position following protests from the Sadrist Movement, saying they would instead seek changes to the law before it came into force. ^[3]

[edit] Opinion Polls

The current Governorate councils were elected in the Iraqi Governorate elections of 2005, which were boycotted by Sunni Arabs, resulting in several Sunni Arab-majority provinces such as Ninawa Governorate and Salahudin being run by Kurdish and Shi'ite parties. As Sunni Arab parties have since decided to particpate in elections, these elections are expected to give them more representation.

The elections are also expected to develop electoral competition within the Sunni Arab population between the Iraqi Accord Front and the Awakening movements, and within the Shiite population between the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council and the Sadrist Movement.^[4] One senior government offical said the elections would "redraw the political map of Iraq", Vice President Adel Abdul Mahdi described them as a "major rehearsal for the parliamentary elections" due in 2009-10, and an expert from the International Crisis Group predicted a "big shift", with the existing parties established by exiles losing ground to more recently formed parties of people who stayed in Iraq during the rule of Saddam Hussein.^[5]

[edit] Disqualification moves

In March, the government of Nouri al-Maliki moved against militias allied to the Sadrist Movement in Basrah Governorate. Sadrists accused Maliki of trying to weaken them ahead of the polls, but Maliki claimed he was just targetting "criminal gangs".

Following this, Maliki said he would disqualify any parties from the election who refused to disband their militia. In April the cabinet agreed on a draft elections law, which included a clause banning parties with militias. ^[6]