Baghdad: The official campaign silence period began across Iraq on Saturday, one day before special voting begins in the parliamentary elections scheduled for Sunday, Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported. During this period, political entities and parties are prohibited from campaigning or promoting their candidates until the voting process concludes.

According to Emirates News Agency, the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) confirmed on Saturday that special voting will begin at 7:00 AM with the participation of more than 1.3 million voters and 26,538 displaced voters. Earlier, the IHEC confirmed that “the electoral silence period will begin at seven o’clock on Saturday morning and will continue until the end of the general voting process,” noting that “any campaign or promotional activity for candidates or electoral lists during this period is a clear violation of the instructions, and legal measures will be taken against the violating parties.”

The commission indicated that “the goal of the electoral silence is to create a calm and balanced environment that allows the voter to think freely and choose his representative without influence or electoral propaganda at the last minute,” calling on political entities and media outlets to “fully comply with the rules of electoral silence in order to preserve the integrity of the electoral process and equal opportunities for all.”