Reforming the Electoral System in Iraq: A Detailed Assessment

The electoral system in Iraq has become a controversial issue that has driven demonstrators to call for major reforms to the electoral commission and the electoral law. Last month, parliament approved the new commissioners of the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) but the current debates center on whether to revert to the election law of 2010 or amend the existing law; whether to have Iraq a single electorate district or 18 electorate districts, and what is the most appropriate seat allocation mechanism. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the nature of the electoral system in Iraq and how it evolved over time. How does it work in practice, and on what grounds is it currently criticized? Providing answers to these essential questions explain the tradeoff between the advantages and disadvantages of the existing electoral system before evaluating the alternatives, as well as their desirability and feasibility.