The makeup of the next government should be relatively straightforward—but politics in Iraq never is. The country’s political class has now entered a familiar period of postelection bargaining and deal-making. In previous election cycles, government formation took months, at one point breaking the record for the longest time taken by any country to form a government.
Iraq’s Nov. 11 elections, the sixth national parliamentary vote under the country’s current constitution, brought forward a mix of old and new parliamentarians. The election featured more than 7,000 candidates competing for 329 seats, complete with 31 alliances , 38 political parties, and 75 independent candidates. Now, the new parliament is due to be convened in the coming weeks, setting the stage for selecting the new speaker of parliament, president, and prime minister.
Iraq’s Nov. 11 elections, the sixth national parliamentary vote under the country’s current constitution, brought forward a mix of old and new parliamentarians. The election featured more than 7,000 candidates competing for 329 seats, complete with 31 alliances, 38 political parties, and 75 independent candidates.
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