Tentative conclusions on democracy & governance
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Iraq’s parliament gets bigger
Under the 2009 electoral law,1 there will be 323 seats in the Council of Representatives. This is an increase from 275 in December 2005. As in December 2005, most seats will be allocated on the governorate level. In that election, however, there were 45 seats allocated nationally to minority groups and parties failing to meet governorate-level thresholds.2 This time, there are only 16 compensatory seats.
And, of course, the new electoral system is open-list proportional representation.
More from Iraq and Gulf Analysis, including the distribution of seats by governorate.
- Score!
- These thresholds were not formal, but arose as a function of apportionment.
2 responses to to “Iraq’s parliament gets bigger”
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What is the distinction between seats “allocated nationally to minority groups and parties failing to meet governorate-level thresholds” and “compensatory seats”?
Are the former no longer compensatory, as they were in the last parliamentary election?
And if it REALLY is open list, I can’t imagine how national or compensatory seats work.
(Of course, with today’s executive veto, it may be moot.)
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The short answer is that there were 45 compensatory seats last time, and there may be 16 this time. There seems to have been more talk about gender and group quotas, but I don’t have specific information. But, as you know, everything is up in the air with the veto.
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