Five election officials face trial for fraud after disputed Iraqi polls

Iraq will put five election officials on trial in connection with fraud – including vote buying – during the country’s May legislative elections.

Judge Laith Hamza said the five were heads of election offices in Salaheddin, Kirkuk and Anbar provinces, and those who oversaw the voting in neighbouring Jordan and Turkey.

All five have been fired and will appear before the courts, Mr Hamza said.

The decision to put them on trial was made after recommendations by a ministerial committee, which issued a 28-page report after reviewing complaints.

Mr Hamza said the committee recommended that they be tried after coming across election “violations, fraud and corruption”.

The ministerial report said some of the claimed fraud involved “vote buying” on behalf of the Minister of Commerce, Salman Ali, and his brother Issam.

After the election, the Supreme Court ordered a manual recount in several districts, including in the northern multi-ethnic city of Kirkuk.

The election was won by populist Shiite cleric Moqtada Al Sadr’s alliance list with communists, as long-time political figures were pushed out by voters seeking change in a country mired in conflict and corruption.

The results were contested mainly by the old guard.

The Supreme Court also ratified a decision by the departing parliament to dismiss Iraq’s nine-member electoral commission and replace them with judges.

The ministerial committee also recommended in its report that a new law be passed to ensure that in the future independent judges, rather than a commission, oversee elections.