Iraq’s regional and international relations and the challenges facing the 2025 parliamentary elections.
The sixth round of Iraqi parliamentary elections is scheduled to be held on November 11, 2025. More than 21 million people are estimated to be eligible to vote in this round, and more than 9,000 candidates from 31 electoral coalitions will compete for the 329 seats in parliament.
In addition to approving the cabinet, the representatives of this parliament are also responsible for electing the president; therefore, its outcome will have a comprehensive impact on the framework of power and political stability in Iraq.
One of the structural points of this round is the changes that have been made to the electoral law and electoral districts; for example, converting several districts into one district in each province and considering the “majority vote” method for entering parliament instead of setting a ceiling for seats has intensified the competitive environment.
The Iraqi electoral environment in this round is carrying significant developments. Among the parties and coalitions, prominent Shiite, Kurdish, and Sunni groups play a prominent role. For example, among the Shiites, coalitions such as the State of Law coalition led by Nouri al-Maliki, the Construction and Development coalition led by Muhammad al-Sudaani, the Al-Sadiqun coalition affiliated with the resistance “Asab Ahl al-Haq”, and other lists are competing.
Among the Kurds, parties such as the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan are more active than other political movements in the region.
The “New Generation” Party, the “Change” or “Goran” Party, the Kurdistan Islamic Union Party, and the Kurdistan Justice Party are among other political movements active in the northern region of Iraq during this period of parliamentary elections.
According to statistics published by some media outlets, the participation and share of Kurds in the Iraqi parliamentary elections has decreased over the past twenty years. These statistics show that between 2005 and 2025, both the participation of the people of Kurdistan in the elections and the number of seats held by Kurdish representatives in the Iraqi parliament have been on a downward trend.