Iraq’s 2025 Parliamentary Election: Major Win for the Current Prime Minister’s Coalition

November 18th, 2025
Harry Xu

On Wednesday, Iraq’s electoral commission announced that Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s coalition came first in the country’s parliamentary elections, winning 1.317 million votes. These results allow the coalition to gain an advantage in Iraq’s 329-member parliament, which will elect the next prime minister. Voting for last week’s election happened on Tuesday.

Sudani is currently seeking a second term, after being elected in 2022; however, his coalition still needs to negotiate and compromise with the other members to select the country’s next leader, due to no party holding a majority.

Iraq’s History with Elections

Iraq’s first election occurred in 2005, following the dictator Saddam Hussein, due to the 2003 American invasion. Last week’s election marked the sixth in the past two decades. However, for many Iraqi voters, each election seems to bring corruption, vote buying and power to the same politicians.

Sudani is part of the Reconstruction and Development Coalition, which is supported by many Shiite Muslim parties. Sudani’s current term in office has focused on reconstruction projects, as well as maintaining diplomatic relations with the United States and Iran.

Voter Turnout in Iraqi Elections

Past voter turnout in Iraqi elections has been at a record low. In the 2021 elections, only 41% of eligible voters participated; this can be attributed to the general dissatisfaction with the government.

However, another cause of turnout is due to Muqtada al-Sadr, who leads a major bloc for Shiites in Iraq. In 2021, his party won the most seats in the Iraqi parliament; however, they withdrew due to tensions between other Shiite parties and difficulties in selecting the prime minister. Since then, Sadr has boycotted elections, encouraging his numerous supporters to refrain from voting.

Sabih Dakhel, a 54-year-old, refused to comply with Sadr's boycott, as he cast a vote in last week’s election, saying that his city “feels almost like a lockdown because of Muqtada al-Sadr’s call for his followers to stay home.”

The voter turnout from last week’s election was 56.11%, according to Iraq’s electoral commission – this marks a 15% increase from 2021. In a speech given by Sudani, he said that the turnout shows “another success, reflected in the restoration of confidence in the political system.”

The increased voter turnout shows the growth of voters’ ability to reform the government. It has also been the highest rate since 2018. However, it still falls short of the 76% turnout rate from the 2005 election, and further progress is needed.

Challenges for Iraq’s New Parliament

While Sudani’s bloc has the most power in Iraq’s new parliament, it does not guarantee Sudani’s second term. Militias supported by Iran also gained many seats in the parliament.

Talks to elect Iraq’s next prime minister will likely last many months; the interests of Shiites, Sunnis, Kurds and other groups will all need to be considered. In fact, the previous parliament took nearly a year to select Sudani. As a result, the 73 members from Sadr’s party in parliament resigned after a few months.

Additionally, Iraq’s future prime minister will need to balance relations between the conflicting interests of the United States and Iran. Especially with the Iran-backed militias holding numerous seats in parliament, it will be challenging for the parliament to appease both countries. Additionally, Sudani and the United States previously agreed for US troops to leave Iraq in 2026, presenting a potential point of conflict for the new government.

Significance of the 2025 Iraq Parliamentary Elections

The increased voter turnout last week illustrates citizens’ increasing political participation in Iraq. Though Iraq’s elections are believed to be flawed, their continuity highlights the country’s willingness to maintain democracy.

Iraq’s new parliament and prime minister will face many challenges; Iraq has maintained a delicate neutrality between the US and Iran, but tensions may escalate, whether due to the Gaza war or conflict regarding Iran’s nuclear program.

It will be a long time until Iraq’s new prime minister is chosen. However, it is of the utmost importance for the nation’s parliament to maintain peace with foreign countries while listening to its voters’ concerns and prioritizing the country’s development for the future.