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Shafaq News
a day ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
SCHR forecasts over 50% turnout for Iraq's November elections
Shafaq News – Baghdad Voter turnout in Iraq's upcoming November 11 parliamentary elections is expected to exceed 50%, the Strategic Center for Human Rights (SCHR) projected on Saturday. SCHR Deputy Head Hazem al-Rudaini stated that the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) has approved 7,926 candidates—5,701 men and 2,225 women—representing a nearly 250% increase from the 3,227 who ran in 2021. 'This level of participation is likely to energize voters nationwide,' al-Rudaini said, noting that turnout will now be calculated based solely on biometric registrations under Law No. 4 of 2023. Iraq's biometric voter base currently includes about 22 million citizens. In contrast, turnout in 2021 was measured against a broader pool of 25 million, which included both biometric and non-biometric registrations under the previous system, he explained.
Shafaq News
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Safeguarding Iraq's heritage: About 500 dialects in danger
Shafaq News/ On Sunday, Iraq's Strategic Center for Human Rights urged the government to launch immediate measures to safeguard the country's linguistic diversity, as nearly 500 dialects face erosion due to globalization. In a report, the center described these dialects as a core component of Iraq's cultural identity and oral heritage, shaped by centuries of ethnic, religious, and regional plurality. 'Preserving dialects protects collective memory and reinforces national belonging,' the report stated, calling linguistic diversity a national asset that demands institutional protection. Linguists estimate Iraq's dialectal spectrum spans Arabic, Kurdish, Turkmen, Assyrian, Mandaic, and Yazidi variations, many of which are passed down orally and remain undocumented. The center also stressed that dialect loss is not merely a linguistic issue, but a threat to cultural continuity, especially in marginalized or rural communities. The warning aligns with a global trend highlighted by UNESCO, which estimates that over 40% of the world's 7,000 languages are endangered. Iraq's rich linguistic landscape, shaped by successive civilizations, places it among the countries most exposed to this global phenomenon. 'When a dialect disappears, a worldview disappears with it,' said Ali Haddad, director of the Iraqi Folklore Archive. 'These are not just words—they are repositories of history, customs, and identity.' The center called on the Ministry of Education and cultural institutions to integrate dialect documentation into national curricula and academic programs, urging funding for research centers to study endangered dialects and support media and artistic content that showcases spoken vernaculars.
Shafaq News
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
More parties than MPs: Iraq urged to reform law
Shafaq News/ Iraq now has more political parties than seats in its 329-member parliament, the Strategic Center for Human Rights (SCHR) said on Monday. In a statement, SCHR's Deputy Head Hazem al-Rudaini noted that 333 parties are officially registered with the Political Parties and Organizations Department under the 2015 Parties Law, with over 50 more still in the formation stage. As the number of political parties has surpassed the number of parliamentarians, al-Rudaini called for amending the law after ten years of implementation. He proposed revoking the license of any group that fails to participate in two consecutive election cycles. 'The goal of forming a party should be active participation in the political and electoral processes.' The official recommended that political groups maintain offices in multiple provinces to show national reach, and urged regular monitoring of their rhetoric, which he said often includes calls to boycott elections and withdraw from the political process. 80 political parties and 71 electoral alliances intend to participate in the upcoming elections in November 2025, according to IHEC data. Registration remains open until May 14.
Shafaq News
09-05-2025
- Shafaq News
30 arrested: Iraqi Security Forces strike
Shafaq News/ On Friday, Iraqi security forces detained 30 individuals in coordinated operations across Saladin and al-Diwaniyah, targeting suspects wanted for kidnapping and theft, police sources confirmed. In Saladin, the Criminal Investigation Department apprehended 25 individuals under judicial warrants, including a suspect involved in kidnapping. Separately, al-Diwaniyah police dismantled a group accused of stealing gold jewelry from a store. Acting on the police chief's directive, a joint task force was formed, which tracked and arrested five suspects following a 15-hour uninterrupted pursuit. Iraq recorded a 15% drop in overall crime in 2024, including a 20% reduction in violent offenses and a 12% decrease in theft-related crimes, according to the Strategic Center for Human Rights. Authorities attribute this progress to enhanced security operations and improved inter-agency coordination.
Shafaq News
01-05-2025
- Business
- Shafaq News
Labor Day: Iraq to launch crackdown on illegal foreign workers
Shafaq News/ Iraq will launch a major inspection campaign targeting thousands of illegal foreign workers, Labor Minister Ahmed Al-Asadi revealed on Thursday. Marking International Labor Day, Al-Asadi expressed his ministry's commitment to defending workers' rights and improving living standards, warning that tens of thousands—possibly hundreds of thousands—of undocumented foreign workers are active across Iraq. 'We'll begin a large-scale crackdown in coordination with relevant agencies and labor unions,' he told Shafaq News. Illegal Labor In Iraq The influx of undocumented foreign labor from countries like India, Bangladesh, Syria, and Pakistan has raised concerns about its impact on Iraq's economy. According to the Strategic Center for Human Rights, approximately one million illegal migrant workers are in Iraq, with only 43,000 registered with the Ministry of Labor as of 2024. These unregistered workers are estimated to remit $4.2 billion annually, significantly affecting the national economy. A 2025 report by Shafaq News highlighted that foreign labor is expanding rapidly in various sectors, including restaurants, cafes, cleaning services, and even state institutions. This surge has deepened the unemployment crisis, leaving 15 million local workers struggling to secure opportunities. In response, Iraq is stepping up efforts to tackle the issue, with authorities currently reviewing the records of all foreign workers. In 2024, 32,000 undocumented laborers were deported. Additionally, nearly 700 foreign nationals were arrested for violating the Foreigner Residence Law No. 76 of 2017 after their grace period expired. The Interior Ministry has urged companies, professionals, craftsmen, tradespeople, restaurant owners, and anyone housing undocumented foreigners to ensure their deportation. Experts, however, warn that these efforts have been insufficient, criticizing the government's failure to implement investment conditions requiring foreign companies to employ 50% local labor in their projects.
