At stake in this election:

• 275 seats in the Council of Representatives

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Jalal TALABANI *
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Ibrahim al-JAFARI **
• Assembly: Iraq has a unicameral Council of Representatives with 275 seats.

* President of the Iraqi Transitional Government (ITG).

** Prime Minister of the Iraqi Transitional Government (ITG).

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by the Council of Representatives with a two-thirds majority.
• In the Council of Representatives 275 members are elected to serve 4-year terms.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Coalition: Unified Iraqi Coalition (United Iraqi Alliance)*
  • Leader: NA
  • Seats won in this election: 128
  • Seats won in last election: 140
• Coalition: Kurdistani Gathering**
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 53
  • Seats won in last election: 75
• Coalition: Tawafoq Iraqi Front***
  • Leader: NA
  • Seats won in this election: 44
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Coalition: National Iraqi List****
  • Leader: Ayad ALLAWI
  • Seats won in this election: 25
  • Seats won in last election: 40
• Coalition: Hewar National Iraqi Front*****
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 11
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: Islamic Union of Kurdistan
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 5
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: Progressives
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 2
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: Liberation and Reconciliation Gathering
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 3
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: Iraqi Turkuman Front
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 1
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: Al Rafedain List
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 1
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Coalition: Mithal Al Aloosi List For Iraqi Nation***********
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 1
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: Al Ezediah Movement for Progressing and Reform
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 1
  • Seats won in last election: N/A

* The Unified Iraqi Coalition includes the Islamic Da'awa Party, the Islamic Virtue Party, the Centrist Coalition Party, the Bader Organization, the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution In Iraq, the Turkman Islamic Union of Iraq, the Justice and Equality Assembly, the Iraqi Democratic Movement, the Movement of Hizbullah in Iraq, the Turkmen Loyalty Movement, the Saed Al Shuhada Islamic Movement, the Al Shabak Democratic Gathering, the Malhan Al Mkoter-Mr, the Islamic Da'awa Party-Iraq Organization, the Reform And Building Meeting, the Al Sadriah Advertising, the Justice Community, and the Iraq Ahrar.
** The Kurdistan Gathering list comprises the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, the Labor Party of Kurdistan, the Islamic Group of Kurdistan/Iraq, the Al Kaldani Democratic United Party, the Communist Party of Kurdistan, the Socialist Democratic Party of Kurdistan, the Democratic Party of Kurdistan, and the Iraqi Turkman Brotherhood Party.
*** Tawafoq Iraqi Front comprises the Iraqi Islamic Party, the General Council For Iraqi People, and the Iraqi National Dialogue Council
**** The National Iraqi List comprises the Iraqi Communist Party, the Union Party, the Al-Qasimy Democratic Assembly, the Iraqi Republican Group, the Arab Socialist Movement, the Independent Democratic Gathering, the Iraqi National Accord, the Society of Turkman Tribes and Elites, the Alfurat Al Awsat Assemblage, the Iraqis, the Loyalty For Iraq Coalition, the Independent Iraqi Alliance, the Independent Iraqi Sheikhs Council, The National List, and the Ahrar.
***** The Hewar National Iraqi Front includes the Iraqi Christian Democratic Party, the Democratic Arab Front, the National Front For the United Free Iraq, the Iraqi Sons Unified Movement, and the National Iraqi Front.
*********** The Mithal Al Aloosi List For Iraqi Nation is comprised of the Iraqi Federalist Gathering and the Iraqi Ummah Party.

Last Parliamentary election:

• Elections for the National Assembly were held on January 30, 2005, when a transitional parliament was elected to draft the country�€™s new constitution. The constitution was adopted through a referendum on October 15.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 27,017,712 (2005)
• Registered Voters: 14,662,639 (January 2005)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 13,357,780 (2005)

·         Is Iraq a signatory to CEDAW: No

·         Has Iraq ratified CEDAW: Yes, accession (13 August 1986)

·         Gender Quota: Yes

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 87 (following the 2005 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 121 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: High (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Iraq a signatory to CRPD: No

·         Has Iraq ratified CRPD: Yes, accession (20 March 2013)

·         Population with a disability: 4,052,656 (est.)