Some prominent Iraqi politicians who won't be returning to parliament

There are some figures in post-2003 Baghdad politics that have seemed as though they have always been there, and always would be.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - There are some figures in post-2003 Baghdad politics that have seemed as though they have always been there, and always would be. As the names of winning candidates are being released by Iraq's electoral commission, it is becoming clear that being extremely recognizable and well-established doesn't guarantee a seat in the Council of Representatives.

The election saw several surprises and upsets, sending winning and losing parties into discussions aimed at creating coalitions with enough clout to form Iraq's next government.

Listed below are some of the colorful characters and usual suspects of the Iraqi parliament most conspicuously absent from the roll-call of the victors:

  • Hanan al-Fatlawi: The top female vote-getter in the last national election, she is known for being a tough ally of Nouri al-Maliki in parliament and making fiery statements criticised as openly sectarian.
  • Salim al-Jubouri: The current Speaker of Parliament and outspoken Sunni lawmaker.
  • Salman Jumaili: The current Minister of Planning.
  • Haider Zamili: The current Minister of Justice.
  • Muwaffaq al-Rubaie: Former National Security Advisor and architect of much of Iraq's governmental and security structures, he oversaw the execution of Saddam Hussein and proudly displayed the noose in his house, hung around the neck of a statue of the former leader.
  • Mishaan al-Jubouri: Always brazen and controversial, known for charges of corruption while head of a parliamentary committee investigating corruption and his questionable allegiances to the former regime.
  • Hassan al-Alawi: Noted Iraqi intellectual, known for changing allegiances and making headline-grabbing pronouncements, he has been credited with helping Saddam Hussein come into power before breaking with him publicly.
  • Mahmoud al-Mashhadani: The former Speaker of Parliament and well known as an outspoken leader from the hey-day of the Iraqi Islamic Party.
  • Maysoun Damluji: Quick and wisecracking, she was always a formidable voice in parliament and an entertaining spokesperson for Ayad Allawi's former coalition.
  • Hammam Hamoudi: The current Deputy Speaker of Parliament, he was chair of the committee that drafted Iraq's constitution.
  • Abbas al-Bayati: Able to give interviews for seemingly unlimited spans of time, he was the State of Law spokesperson most often seen while Maliki was prime minister.
  • Mahmoud Hassan: A State of Law MP, fined in the last election after a video circulated of him offering grants of land for votes.
  • Haider al-Mulla: A longtime MP and always visible spokesperson for Ayad Allawi's coalition and Saleh al-Mutlaq's Iraqi Front for National Dialogue party.
  • Ali Alaaq: Well-known Dawa leader in parliament.
  • Sadiq al-Rikabi: Parliament member and former advisor to Maliki.
  • Adelah Hammoud Hussein: The current Minister of Health.
  • Anne Nafie Alousi: The current Minister of Housing and Construction.
  • Khalid Al-Assadi: An ever-present and staunch Maliki loyalist in parliament.
  • Rahim Darraji: A senior member of Hadi al-Amiri's al-Fatih Coalition.
  • Jassim Mohammed Jaafar: The former Minister of Youth and Sports and former Minister of Housing and Construction.
  • Amer Khuzai: A former Maliki advisor.

 

Turnout in the country stood at 44.5 percent, according to IHEC. It is the lowest voter turnout rate in Iraq in the past 13 years. In the 2014 elections, roughly 60 percent cast ballots.

Unlike previous elections, a biometric and electronic voting system was used for verifying voter cards, fingerprints, and counting ballots—a system meant to streamline the electoral process and prevent voter fraud.

However, hours after polling stations were closed, complaints arose of malfunctions and voter fraud, and parties who performed poorly have called for manual recounts.

We have likely not heard the last from all of those listed.