Iraq’s independent high electoral commission (IHEC) has announced that over 3,500 candidates have registered to run for the 329 seats in the country’s parliament. Meanwhile, the authorities are apparently pressing state employees to renew their biometric electoral cards. The aim of this, according to a letter from an Iraqi ministry seen by Amwaj.media, is to “avoid bureaucracy and routine work to ensure the success of the [IHEC’s] work."

But there are multiple stumbling blocks ahead of the elections this autumn...