Iraqi elections: reality or illusion?
As the Iraqi parliamentary elections, which are scheduled to be held on November 10, approach, the country’s political scene is undergoing changes that seem to be gaining momentum with the passage of time, and the competition is showing itself more and more at different levels.
In this regard, the Al-Ma’uluma News Agency wrote in a note by Riyadh Al-Fartousi: These days, the streets of Baghdad and other Iraqi cities are full of pictures and graffiti; smiling faces pasted on walls, competitive slogans written on lampposts, and in public places.
But behind these issues and propaganda lies a fundamental question: are pictures enough to build trust? Or does the Iraqi citizen distinguish between the illusions they are sold in campaigns and the reality they face in their daily lives?
Iraqi citizens have heard many promises that after the polls close, everyone will disappear, and today, more than ever, they understand that elections are not a futile matter or a political pastime, but rather the only way out of previous failures and the best tool to breathe new life into the political process.
Thousands of candidates were indeed disqualified in this period by the decisions of the Integrity, Accountability, and Justice Commissions, and it is true that many old figures have returned to the scene, but this does not mean despair. In each election cycle, a new generation of figures participates, on whom we can place our hope.
Al-Furtoosi continued his article: Iraq today is at the heart of a complex equation; on the one hand, it is faced with external pressures and on the other, with internal problems and concerns. Therefore, images and slogans may be illusions, but the elections themselves are not illusions, but rather a legal and peaceful tool that experience has proven to be the best way to stabilize the country.