2013 Iraqi governorate elections

Governorate or provincial elections were held in Iraq on 20 April 2013, to replace the local councils in the governorates of Iraq that were elected in the Iraqi governorate elections of 2009.[1] Elections took place in 12 of Iraq's 18 governorates. Elections didn't take place in the 3 governorates forming the Kurdistan Region[2][3] or Kirkuk, Anbar, or Nineveh, meaning that a total of 378 provincial council seats were up for election.[4][5]

2013 Iraqi governorate elections

← 2009 20 April 2013 2023 →

447 seats comprising 14 of the 18 governorates of Iraq
  First party Second party Third party
  Nouri al-Maliki Ammar al-Hakim
Leader Nouri al-Maliki Ammar al-Hakim Muqtada al-Sadr
Party State of Law Muwatin coalition Sadrist Movement
Last election 126 52 43
Seats won 102 65 60
Seat change Decrease24 Increase13 Increase17

Colours show the largest list in every governorate
  State of Law Coalition
  Shiite List
  Liberal Coalition
  Muttahidoon
  Kurdistan Alliance
  Independents/Local List
  Elections not held
Provinces holding election are green; Al Anbar and Nineveh (red), Kirkuk (blue) and Iraqi Kurdistan (dark red) postponed their elections.

The Iraqi government later decided on 19 March to delay the elections in the governorates of Anbar and Nineveh due to ongoing instability caused by the insurgency and the ongoing protests,[6][7] prompting criticism from Muqtada al-Sadr[8] and John Kerry.[9] Elections for Anbar and Nineveh were held on 20 June.[10]

Electoral Law

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There have been several disputes about the electoral law that is to be used for the election. The current electoral law, which was also used in the 2009 election, states that if certain parties don't get enough votes, their votes and seats are given to the larger parties. In the 2009 election this led to many smaller parties failing to take any seats. Because of the disproportionate affect this law had on smaller parties, the Supreme Court of Iraq declared the law unconstitutional, as it restricted democracy.[11]

In spite of this ruling, and mostly due to the fact that because the law benefits the largest parties they have little incentive to change it, the law has yet to be changed. If not changed, the unconstitutional nature of the law however would make the 2013 election results vulnerable to a legal challenge.[12] As a result, although this does not currently effect the work of the Independent High Electoral Commission, IHEC has been calling on the Iraqi government to pass changes to the law.[4]

In response to this, on 13 December 2012 the Iraqi parliament voted to adopt the Sainte-Laguë method as the new electoral method.[13]

Participants

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Parties and candidates wishing to stand for election had to register by the deadline of 25 November 2012. By the time of the deadline 243 entities, including 16 independent candidates, had registered, with some of the entities registering to participate for the first time.[4] As a result of the large number of applications submitted for the registration of political coalitions for the election, IHEC decided to extend the deadline for submissions from the 13th to the 18th of December.[14]

One of the biggest changes to the political coalitions taking part is the fact that the State of Law Coalition has expanded from its traditional supporters, with former opponents such as the Badr Organization, the National Reform Trend, the Islamic Virtue Party, and the secular Shiite White Iraqiya Bloc all joining the coalition for the election. Despite the massive size of the coalition, it is exclusively Shiite.[15][16]

According to IHEC, a total of 8,224 candidates registered to run in the elections, including 131 candidates who have since been barred by IHEC from running due to their ties to the Iraqi Ba'ath Party.[17]

Preliminary results

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According to preliminary results from the 12 governorates were elections were held, Nouri al-Maliki's expanded State of Law Coalition would come in first place with 115 seats, second would come ISCI with 80 seats and Sadr Movement would win 50.[18]

With 87-90% of the vote counted, the results were as following:[18]

Province Maliki Hakim Sadr Allawi Nujaifi Mutlaq Kurds Pan-Shi'a Local
Basra 46.3% 19.6% 9.6% 2.0% 1.6% 5%
Maysan 32.4% 22.9% 33.1%
Dhi Qar 32.4% 23.0% 15.3% 9.5%
Muthanna 30.2% 26.0% 12.5% 10.7%
Qadisiyyah 29.6% 17.1% 13.4% 8.3%
Babil 20.5% 20.8% 9.3% 4.4% 12.4%
Najaf 14.4% 15.4% 8.5% 22.1%
Karbala 23.1% 9.1% 12.2% 9.4%
Wasit 26.3% 24.2% 17.7% 8.3%
Baghdad 37.1% 10.4% 7.7% 5.0% 12.3% 4.9%
Saladin - - - 6.5% 12.0% 3.2% 2.5% 6.1% 12.6%
Diyala - - - 4.5% 3.1% 11.8% 24.8%
Source: Al Monitor,

Results

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Total seats

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Party Total votes Percentage Total seats Party leader
State of Law Coalition 1,890,567 26.21% 102 Nouri al-Maliki
Citizens Alliance 943,646 13.08% 66 Ammar al-Hakim
Liberal Coalition 653,763 9.06% 60 Muqtada al-Sadr
Muttahidoon 518,968 7.19% 35 Atheel al-Nujaifi
Arabian Al Iraqia 18 Saleh al-Mutlaq
Kurdistan List 255,362 3.54% 17 Barham Salih
Al Iraqia National and United Coalition 298,198 4.13% 16 Ayad Allawi
Loyalty to Najaf 118,310 1.64% 9 Adnan al-Zurufi
Islamic Dawa Party – Iraq Organisation 7 Hashim Al-Mosawy
Iraqi People's Coalition 8
Hope of Rafidain 3
Iraq's Benevolence and Generosity List 65,634 0.91% 3 Dr Rushdi Said
Iraqi Communist Party 2 Hamid Majid Mousa
National White Bloc 44,765 0.62% 2 Hassan Alawi
Other Parties 99 -
Total 7,214,146 100% 447 -
Source: ISW, Gulf Analysis, IHEC, Musings on Iraq
Party Total votes Percentage Seats Party leader
Muttahidoon 115,605 27.89% 8 Osama al-Nujaifi
Aabiroun Coalition 62,581 15.10% 5 Qasim Al-Fahdawi
Arabian Al Iraqia 57,332 13.83% 4 Saleh al-Mutlaq
Al Iraqia National and United Coalition 39,500 9.53% 3 Ayad Allawi
Al Anbar United Coalition 35,214 8.49% 3 Kamil al-Dulaymi
National Cooperation Coalition 32,718 7.89% 2 Ali Farhan
People’s Will Project 25,210 6.08% 2 Sheikh Mohamad Daham Al Farhan
Iraq’s Affluents 10,785 2.60% 1 Sheikh Jamal Al Jadaan
Amiroun Coalition 9,220 2.22% 1 Ahmad Raja
Valiants of Iraq Bloc 8,932 2.15% 1 Sheikh Majed Ali Al Sulayman
Other parties 17,457 4.21% -
Total 414,554 100% 30
Sources: al-Sumaria – al-Anbar Coalitions, IHEC
Party Total votes Percentage Seats Party leader
State of Law Coalition 142,568 25.98% 8 Nouri al-Maliki
Citizens Alliance 115,188 20.99% 7 Ammar al-Hakim
Independent Iraqi Qualifications Gathering 69,087 12.59% 4 Hamed Ahmad Aboud Radi
Liberal Coalition 51,869 9.45% 4 Muqtada al-Sadr
Babil Civil Alliance 30,578 5.57% 2 Akil Jaber Hamza Saleh
Al Iraqia National and United Coalition 24,227 4.42% 1
Iraq’s National Coalition 20,755 3.78% 1
Islamic Dawa Party – Iraq Organisation 19,527 3.56% 1 Hashim Al-Mosawy
National Partnership Gathering 18,565 3.38% 1 Mohamed Fadel Obeid Omran
Al Amin Coalition 16,865 3.07% 1
Iraqia Babel 12,754 2.32% 1 Osama al-Nujaifi
Saleh al-Mutlaq
Other parties 26,688 4.86% -
Total 548,671 100% 31
Sources: ISW, al-Sumaria – Babil Coalitions, IHEC Babil Results

Baghdad Governorate

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Party Total votes Percentage Seats Party leader
State of Law Coalition 569,178 36.31% 20 Nouri al-Maliki
Muttahidoon 183,716 11.72% 7 Osama al-Nujaifi
Citizens Alliance 163,022 10.40% 6 Ammar al-Hakim
Liberal Coalition 137,808 8.79% 4 Muqtada al-Sadr
Al Iraqia National and United Coalition 80,066 5.12% 3 Ayad Allawi
National Independent Elite Movement 78,429 5.00% 3
Arabian Al Iraqia 70,644 4.51% 3 Saleh al-Mutlaq
Citizenship State Bloc 48,605 3.10% 2
National Partnership Gathering 31,889 2.03% 1
Islamic Dawa Party – Iraq Organisation 24,339 1.55% 1 Hashim Al-Mosawy
Iraqi Justice and Democracy Alliance 23,388 1.49% 1
Free Iraqi Coalition 15,957 1.02% 1
Iraq’s Benevolence and Generosity List 15,162 0.97% 1 Dr Rushdi Said
Feylis Kurds Brotherhood List
Kurdish Minority seat
8,675 0.55% 1
Baghdad Turkmen list
Turkmen Minority seat
1,947 0.12% 1
Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Gathering Coalition
Assyrian Minority seat
1,513 0.10% 1
Raed Jabar Saleh
Sabian Minority seat
781 0.05% 1 -
Other parties 112,580 7.18% -
Total 1,567,699 100% 58
Sources: ISW, al-Sumaria – Baghdad Coalitions, IHEC Baghdad Results Archived 2013-09-03 at the Wayback Machine

Basra Governorate

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Party Total votes Percentage Seats Party leader
State of Law Coalition 292,658 45.17% 16 Nouri al-Maliki
Citizens Alliance 121,875 18.81% 6 Ammar al-Hakim
Liberal Coalition 58,312 9.00% 3 Muqtada al-Sadr
Basra Independent Coalition 29,384 4.54% 2
Gathering of Justice and Unity 24,513 3.78% 1 al-Faiz
Al Barsa’s Civil Alliance 17,541 2.71% 1
Alternative Movement 15,643 2.41% 1
Islamic Dawa Party – Iraq Organisation 15,493 2.39% 1 Hashim Al-Mosawy
Will of Iraq Movement 13,940 2.15% 1
Al Iraqia National and United Coalition 13,319 2.06% 1 Ayad Allawi
Muttahidoon 10,386 1.60% 1 Osama al-Nujaifi
Other parties 34,873 5.38% -
Total 647,937 100% 35
Sources: ISW, al-Sumaria – Basra Coalitions, IHEC Basra Results
Party Total votes Percentage Seats Party leader
State of Law Coalition 176,861 10 Nouri al-Maliki
Citizens Alliance 122,088 7 Ammar al-Hakim
Liberal Coalition 81,338 7 Muqtada al-Sadr
Solidarity with Iraq 50,363 3 Talib Qathem Abdul Karim Al Hassan
National Loyalty Bloc 43,369 3 Habib Nour Mahdi Nehme
National Partnership Gathering 26,670 2 Hamid naim Khudayr Abdullah
Civil Democratic Coalition 17,906 1 Shahid Ahmad Hassan Mohamed
Other parties -
Total 100% 31
Sources: ISW, al-Sumaria – Dhi Qar Coalitions, IHEC Dhi Qar Results
Party Total votes Percentage Seats Party leader
Diyala’s National Alliance 170,292 37.08% 12 Nouri al-Maliki
Iraqi Diyala 149,535 32.56% 10
Feylis Kurds Brotherhood List 49,415 10.76% 3
Al Iraqia National and United Coalition 27,670 6.02% 2 Ayad Allawi
Determined to Build 17,935 3.90% 1
Diyala’s New Coalition 13,980 3.04% 1
Other parties 30,484 6.64% -
Total 459,311 100% 29
Sources: ISW, al-Sumaria – Diyala Coalitions, IHEC Diyala Results
Party Total votes Percentage Seats Party leader
State of Law Coalition 84,447 7 Nouri al-Maliki
Liberal Coalition 43,945 4 Muqtada al-Sadr
Al Liwa 33,614 3
Citizens Alliance 33,362 3 Ammar al-Hakim
Hope for the Mesopotamia 32,527 3
Equitable State Movement 32,454 3
National Moderation Front 18,501 2
Iraq’s Advocates for State Support 13,102 1
Iraqi Justice and Democracy Alliance 8,559 1
Other parties 2
Total 100% 27
Sources: ISW, al-Sumaria – Karbala Coalitions, IHEC Karbala Results

Maysan Governorate

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Party Total votes Percentage Seats Party leader
Liberal Coalition 89,906 33.01% 9 Muqtada al-Sadr
State of Law Coalition 77,917 28.61% 8 Nouri al-Maliki
Citizens Alliance 63,060 23.15% 6 Ammar al-Hakim
Honesty and Generosity 11,605 4.26% 1 Sajed Abdul Wahed Karim Said
National Partnership Gathering 10,771 3.95% 1 Jasem Saheb Obeid Sadkhan
National Flag Gathering 9,814 3.60% 1 Naser Hussein Jabbar Ghadib
Islamic Dawa Party – Iraq Organisation 5,615 2.06% 1 Hashim Al-Mosawy
Other parties 3,665 1.35% -
Total 272,353 100% 27
Sources: ISW, al-Sumaria – Maysan Coalitions, IHEC Maysan Results

Muthanna Governorate

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Party Total votes Percentage Seats Party leader
State of Law Coalition 76,777 30.61% 9 Nouri al-Maliki
Citizens Alliance 67,203 26.79% 7 Ammar al-Hakim
Liberal Coalition 31,290 12.47% 3 Muqtada al-Sadr
Independent Iraqi Qualifications Gathering 27,065 10.79% 3 Adel Nazek Abdul Saheb Ali
Gathering for Al Muthana 24,931 9.94% 2 Mohamd Radi Sultan Ashlukh
Al Muthanna Alliance for Change & Reconstruction 17,561 7.00% 2 Ghazi Mussa Kathem Abdul Hussein
Other parties 6,029 2.40% -
Total 250,856 100% 26
Sources: ISW, al-Sumaria – Muthanna Coalitions, IHEC Muthanna Results Archived 2013-11-01 at the Wayback Machine
Party Total votes Percentage Seats Party leader
Loyalty to Najaf 118,310 29.33% 9 Adnan al-Zurufi
Citizens Alliance 82,020 20.34% 6 Ammar al-Hakim
State of Law Coalition 76,519 18.97% 5 Nouri al-Maliki
Liberal Coalition 45,167 11.20% 4 Muqtada al-Sadr
Equitable State Movement 25,889 6.42% 2
Najaf Province’s Change Coalition 14,464 3.59% 1
National Partnership Gathering 14,314 3.55% 1
Renaissance and Building Gathering 8,521 2.11% 1
Islamic Dawa Party – Iraq Organisation 7,571 1.88% 1 Hashim Al-Mosawy
Other parties 10,546 2.61% -
Total 403,321 100% 29
Sources: ISW, al-Sumaria – Najaf Coalitions, IHEC Najaf Results
Party Total votes Percentage Seats Party leader
Brotherhood and Coexistence Alliance List 173,687 29.87% 11
Muttahidoon 129,556 22.28% 8 Osama al-Nujaifi
Loyalty to Nineveh List 66,517 11.44% 4 Saleh al-Mutlaq
United Nineveh 45,971 7.91% 3 Sheikh Abdullah al-Yawer
Iraqi Construction and Justice Gathering 39,126 3 Deldar Zebari
Al Iraqia National and United Coalition 31,276 2 Ayad Allawi
Nineveh's Bravery Coalition 23,361 1
Nineveh's National Alliance 22,734 1
Oum Rabih Tribes' National Gathering 21,349 1 Hassan Khulayf
Al Shabak Freemen Council 12,689 1
Yazidi Movement for Reform and Progress 10,397 1
Iraqi People's Coalition 8,633 1
Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Gathering Coalition 8,635 1
Iraq's Benevolence and Generosity List 8,076 1 Dr Rushdi Said
Other parties
Total 581,449 100% 39
Sources: al-Sumaria – Nineveh Coalitions, IHEC Archived 2017-08-09 at the Wayback Machine
Party Total votes Percentage Seats Party leader
State of Law Coalition 114,697 8 Nouri al-Maliki
Citizens Alliance 66,691 5 Ammar al-Hakim
Liberal Coalition 50,544 4 Muqtada al-Sadr
Al Diwaniyah People's Independent Coalition 49,831 4 Jaafar Mussa Zaalan Hachem
National White Bloc 33,092 2 Khudayr Sharif Khudayr Razam
Islamic Dawa Party – Iraq Organisation 29,517 2 Hashim Al-Mosawy
Loyalty to Iraq Coalition 11,207 1 Baqer Ali Shaalan Salman
Al Diwaniyah's Civil Alliance 9,472 1 Ali Fawzi Zaydan Kitn
Equitable State Movement 8,141 1 Ghanem Mekled Jalub Aziz
Other parties
Total 100% 28
Sources: ISW, al-Sumaria – Al-Qādisiyyah Coalitions, IHEC Al-Qādisiyyah Results Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine
Party Total votes Percentage Seats Party leader
Iraqi People's Coalition 95,338 7 Ahmed al-Juburi
Muttahidoon 79,705 5 Osama al-Nujaifi
Iraq's Authenticity Coalition 66,549 5
Al Iraqia National and United Coalition 46,287 3 Ayad Allawi
Salahuddine National Alliance 39,447 3
Equality Front 27,654
Arabian Al Iraqia 24,167 2 Saleh al-Mutlaq
Salahuddine Unified Coalition 23,497 2 Mukhlaf Audi Sueid Mukhlaf
Brotherhood and Coexistence Alliance List 21,373 1 Mohamed Chehab Mohamed Samin
Salahuddine Turkmen's list 18,395 1 Ali Hachem Nuri Hassan
Other parties
Total 100% 29
Sources: ISW, al-Sumaria – Salah ad Din Coalitions, IHEC Salah ad Din Results
Party Total votes Percentage Seats Party leader
State of Law Coalition 96,664 27.22% 7 Nouri al-Maliki
Citizens Alliance 86,403 24.33% 7 Ammar al-Hakim
Liberal Coalition 63,584 17.91% 5 Muqtada al-Sadr
Loyal Hands’ Gathering 29,969 8.44% 2
Social Justice State 28,446 8.01% 2
Iraq's Benevolence and Generosity List 13,678 3.85% 1 Dr Rushdi Said
Al Iraqia National and United Coalition 13,055 3.68% 1 Ayad Allawi
Equitable State Movement 8,447 2.38% 1
Civil Democratic Alliance in Waset 8,420 2.37% 1
Feylis Kurds Brotherhood List 2,212 0.62% 1
Other parties 4,181 1.18%
Total 355,059 100% 28
Sources: ISW, al-Sumaria – Wasit Coalitions, IHEC Wasit Results

References

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  1. ^ Iraq announced provincial elections for April 2013. - UPI.com
  2. ^ "Iraq to hold local elections in April 2013 - NZweek". Archived from the original on 2013-01-30. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
  3. ^ Iraq sets date for local elections | Al-Shorfa
  4. ^ a b c Iraq’s new election officials: ‘Lots of people question our abilities’ - Niqash
  5. ^ ‘Election results so far: Low voter turnout, more compromises needed’ - Niqash
  6. ^ "Iraq postpones local elections in two provinces". Reuters. 19 March 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
  7. ^ Ali Abel Sadah (13 March 2013). "Iraqi Provincial Elections Postponed in Anbar". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
  8. ^ Ali Abel Sadah (22 March 2013). "Muqtada al-Sadr: Staying In Iraqi Government a 'Sin'". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
  9. ^ "Kerry chides Iraq over Iran flights to Syria". Al Jazeera. 24 March 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
  10. ^ Counting Begins After Delayed Iraqi Vote
  11. ^ Niqash – politics – new law says no place for smaller political parties in iraq
  12. ^ Weekly Iraq Update #44 | Institute for the Study of War
  13. ^ Iraq Adopts the Sainte-Lague Method for Its Election Law - Gulf Analysis
  14. ^ "IHEC extends the registration period for political coalitions - IHEC". Archived from the original on 2013-01-25. Retrieved 2012-12-23.
  15. ^ As the Deadline for Forming Coalitions Expires, Maliki Creates Monster Sectarian Alliance for Iraq’s Local Elections in April 2013 - Gulf Analysis
  16. ^ "List of political coalition approved for election in provincial councils - IHEC" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-05-28. Retrieved 2013-06-02.
  17. ^ "Insecurity could hit Iraq provincial poll: Election official". Al Arabiya. 6 February 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
  18. ^ a b "Maliki Falls Short of Majority in Early Election Returns - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East".