Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) has barred more than 540 candidates from running in the country’s upcoming parliamentary elections, citing alleged ties to the outlawed Ba’ath Party and criminal records.

“The total number of disqualified candidates has so far reached 542,” IHEC media officer Imad Jamil confirmed to Rudaw on Wednesday.

The parliamentary elections are set for November 11, with more than 7,900 individuals registered to contest 329 seats in the Iraqi Council of Representatives.

According to IHEC, 160 candidates were withdrawn and replaced by their political blocs, while others were excluded due to criminal convictions. A total of 253 candidates were barred for alleged links to the Ba’ath Party, which has been banned in Iraq since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.

Iraq’s Accountability and Justice Act of 2008 governs the de-Ba’athification process, aimed at eradicating the party’s influence “intellectually, administratively, politically, culturally, and economically” across the country. Earlier this week, IHEC also revealed that more than 400 candidates had been summoned for investigation over suspected Ba’athist affiliations.

Among those disqualified is Hasan Qasim al-Khafaji, chairman of the parliamentary Investment and Development Committee, who was barred from the race over criminal allegations dating back to 2004 and 2015 — charges he denies.

Iraq’s population now stands at 46.1 million, including the Kurdistan Region, according to the 2024 census. Of that figure, about 27 million citizens are eligible to vote, though only those with biometric voting cards will be allowed to cast their ballots.

In the Kurdistan Region, more than 800,000 eligible voters — around 20 percent — are currently unable to vote due to failure to update their biometric cards, according to IHEC data obtained by Rudaw.

Voter turnout in Iraq has been steadily declining. The 2021 parliamentary elections recorded just 41.1 percent turnout nationwide, the lowest since the country adopted its post-2003 political system. In the Kurdistan Region, turnout was 45.6 percent.