# 2013 Iraqi governorate elections

Governorate or provincial elections were held in Iraq on 20 April 2013, to replace the local councils in the governorates of Iraq that were elected in the Iraqi governorate elections of 2009. Elections took place in 12 of Iraq's 18 governorates. Elections didn't take place in the 3 governorates forming the Kurdistan Region or Kirkuk, Anbar, or Nineveh, meaning that a total of 378 provincial council seats were up for election.
The Iraqi government later decided on 19 March to delay the elections in the governorates of Anbar and Nineveh due to ongoing instability caused by the insurgency and the ongoing protests, prompting criticism from Muqtada al-Sadr and John Kerry. Elections for Anbar and Nineveh were held on 20 June.

## Electoral Law

There have been several disputes about the electoral law that is to be used for the election. The current electoral law, which was also used in the 2009 election, states that if certain parties don't get enough votes, their votes and seats are given to the larger parties. In the 2009 election this led to many smaller parties failing to take any seats. Because of the disproportionate affect this law had on smaller parties, the Supreme Court of Iraq declared the law unconstitutional, as it restricted democracy.
In spite of this ruling, and mostly due to the fact that because the law benefits the largest parties they have little incentive to change it, the law has yet to be changed. If not changed, the unconstitutional nature of the law however would make the 2013 election results vulnerable to a legal challenge. As a result, although this does not currently effect the work of the Independent High Electoral Commission, IHEC has been calling on the Iraqi government to pass changes to the law.
In response to this, on 13 December 2012 the Iraqi parliament voted to adopt the Sainte-Laguë method as the new electoral method.

## Participants

Parties and candidates wishing to stand for election had to register by the deadline of 25 November 2012. By the time of the deadline 243 entities, including 16 independent candidates, had registered, with some of the entities registering to participate for the first time. As a result of the large number of applications submitted for the registration of political coalitions for the election, IHEC decided to extend the deadline for submissions from the 13th to the 18th of December.
One of the biggest changes to the political coalitions taking part is the fact that the State of Law Coalition has expanded from its traditional supporters, with former opponents such as the Badr Organization, the National Reform Trend, the Islamic Virtue Party, and the secular Shiite White Iraqiya Bloc all joining the coalition for the election. Despite the massive size of the coalition, it is exclusively Shiite.
According to IHEC, a total of 8,224 candidates registered to run in the elections, including 131 candidates who have since been barred by IHEC from running due to their ties to the Iraqi Ba'ath Party.

## Preliminary results

According to preliminary results from the 12 governorates were elections were held, Nouri al-Maliki's expanded State of Law Coalition would come in first place with 115 seats, second would come ISCI with 80 seats and Sadr Movement would win 50.
With 87-90% of the vote counted, the results were as following:
| Province | Maliki | Hakim | Sadr | Allawi | Nujaifi | Mutlaq | Kurds | Pan-Shi'a | Local |
| Basra | 46.3% | 19.6% | 9.6% | 2.0% | 1.6% | | | | 5% |
| Maysan | 32.4% | 22.9% | 33.1% | | | | | | |
| Dhi Qar | 32.4% | 23.0% | 15.3% | | | | | | 9.5% |
| Muthanna | 30.2% | 26.0% | 12.5% | | | | | | 10.7% |
| Qadisiyyah | 29.6% | 17.1% | 13.4% | | | | | | 8.3% |
| Babil | 20.5% | 20.8% | 9.3% | 4.4% | | | | | 12.4% |
| Najaf | 14.4% | 15.4% | 8.5% | | | | | | 22.1% |
| Karbala | 23.1% | 9.1% | 12.2% | | | | | | 9.4% |
| Wasit | 26.3% | 24.2% | 17.7% | | | | | | 8.3% |
| Baghdad | 37.1% | 10.4% | 7.7% | 5.0% | 12.3% | 4.9% | | | |
| Saladin | - | - | - | 6.5% | 12.0% | 3.2% | 2.5% | 6.1% | 12.6% |
| Diyala | - | - | - | 4.5% | | | 3.1% | 11.8% | 24.8% |
| Source: Al Monitor, ||||||||||

## Results
### Total seats

| Party | Party | Total votes | Percentage | Total seats | Party leader |
| | State of Law Coalition | 1,890,567 | 26.21% | 102 | Nouri al-Maliki |
| | Citizens Alliance | 943,646 | 13.08% | 66 | Ammar al-Hakim |
| | Liberal Coalition | 653,763 | 9.06% | 60 | Muqtada al-Sadr |
| | Muttahidoon | 518,968 | 7.19% | 35 | Atheel al-Nujaifi |
| | Arabian Al Iraqia | | | 18 | Saleh al-Mutlaq |
| | Kurdistan List | 255,362 | 3.54% | 17 | Barham Salih |
| | Al Iraqia National and United Coalition | 298,198 | 4.13% | 16 | Ayad Allawi |
| | Civil Democratic Alliance | | | 11 | Ali Khathem Aziz |
| | Loyalty to Najaf | 118,310 | 1.64% | 9 | Adnan al-Zurufi |
| | Islamic Dawa Party – Iraq Organisation | | | 7 | Hashim Al-Mosawy |
| | Iraqi People's Coalition | | | 8 | |
| | Hope of Rafidain | | | 3 | |
| | Iraq's Benevolence and Generosity List | 65,634 | 0.91% | 3 | Dr Rushdi Said |
| | National White Bloc | 44,765 | 0.62% | 2 | Hassan Alawi |
| Other Parties | Other Parties | | | 99 | - |
| Total | Total | 7,214,146 | 100% | 447 | - |
| Source: ISW, Gulf Analysis, IHEC, Musings on Iraq ||||||

### Al Anbar Governorate

| Party | Party | Total votes | Percentage | Seats | Party leader |
| | Muttahidoon | 115,605 | 27.89% | 8 | Osama al-Nujaifi |
| | Aabiroun Coalition | 62,581 | 15.10% | 5 | Qasim Al-Fahdawi |
| | Arabian Al Iraqia | 57,332 | 13.83% | 4 | Saleh al-Mutlaq |
| | Al Iraqia National and United Coalition | 39,500 | 9.53% | 3 | Ayad Allawi |
| | Al Anbar United Coalition | 35,214 | 8.49% | 3 | Kamil al-Dulaymi |
| | National Cooperation Coalition | 32,718 | 7.89% | 2 | Ali Farhan |
| | People’s Will Project | 25,210 | 6.08% | 2 | Sheikh Mohamad Daham Al Farhan |
| | Iraq’s Affluents | 10,785 | 2.60% | 1 | Sheikh Jamal Al Jadaan |
| | Amiroun Coalition | 9,220 | 2.22% | 1 | Ahmad Raja |
| | Valiants of Iraq Bloc | 8,932 | 2.15% | 1 | Sheikh Majed Ali Al Sulayman |
| Other parties | Other parties | 17,457 | 4.21% | - | |
| Total | Total | 414,554 | 100% | 30 | |
| Sources: al-Sumaria – al-Anbar Coalitions, IHEC ||||||

### Babil Governorate

| Party | Party | Total votes | Percentage | Seats | Party leader |
| | State of Law Coalition | 142,568 | 25.98% | 8 | Nouri al-Maliki |
| | Citizens Alliance | 115,188 | 20.99% | 7 | Ammar al-Hakim |
| | Independent Iraqi Qualifications Gathering | 69,087 | 12.59% | 4 | Hamed Ahmad Aboud Radi |
| | Liberal Coalition | 51,869 | 9.45% | 4 | Muqtada al-Sadr |
| | Babil Civil Alliance | 30,578 | 5.57% | 2 | Akil Jaber Hamza Saleh |
| | Al Iraqia National and United Coalition | 24,227 | 4.42% | 1 | |
| | Iraq’s National Coalition | 20,755 | 3.78% | 1 | |
| | Islamic Dawa Party – Iraq Organisation | 19,527 | 3.56% | 1 | Hashim Al-Mosawy |
| | National Partnership Gathering | 18,565 | 3.38% | 1 | Mohamed Fadel Obeid Omran |
| | Al Amin Coalition | 16,865 | 3.07% | 1 | |
| | Iraqia Babel | 12,754 | 2.32% | 1 | Osama al-Nujaifi Saleh al-Mutlaq |
| Other parties | Other parties | 26,688 | 4.86% | - | |
| Total | Total | 548,671 | 100% | 31 | |
| Sources: ISW, al-Sumaria – Babil Coalitions, IHEC Babil Results ||||||

### Baghdad Governorate

| Party | Party | Total votes | Percentage | Seats | Party leader |
| | State of Law Coalition | 569,178 | 36.31% | 20 | Nouri al-Maliki |
| | Muttahidoon | 183,716 | 11.72% | 7 | Osama al-Nujaifi |
| | Citizens Alliance | 163,022 | 10.40% | 6 | Ammar al-Hakim |
| | Liberal Coalition | 137,808 | 8.79% | 4 | Muqtada al-Sadr |
| | Al Iraqia National and United Coalition | 80,066 | 5.12% | 3 | Ayad Allawi |
| | National Independent Elite Movement | 78,429 | 5.00% | 3 | |
| | Arabian Al Iraqia | 70,644 | 4.51% | 3 | Saleh al-Mutlaq |
| | Citizenship State Bloc | 48,605 | 3.10% | 2 | |
| | National Partnership Gathering | 31,889 | 2.03% | 1 | |
| | Islamic Dawa Party – Iraq Organisation | 24,339 | 1.55% | 1 | Hashim Al-Mosawy |
| | Iraqi Justice and Democracy Alliance | 23,388 | 1.49% | 1 | |
| | Free Iraqi Coalition | 15,957 | 1.02% | 1 | |
| | Iraq’s Benevolence and Generosity List | 15,162 | 0.97% | 1 | Dr Rushdi Said |
| | Feylis Kurds Brotherhood List Kurdish Minority seat | 8,675 | 0.55% | 1 | |
| | Baghdad Turkmen list Turkmen Minority seat | 1,947 | 0.12% | 1 | |
| | Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Popular Council Assyrian Minority seat | 1,513 | 0.10% | 1 | |
| | Raed Jabar Saleh Sabian Minority seat | 781 | 0.05% | 1 | - |
| Other parties | Other parties | 112,580 | 7.18% | - | |
| Total | Total | 1,567,699 | 100% | 58 | |
| Sources: ISW, al-Sumaria – Baghdad Coalitions, IHEC Baghdad Results Archived 2013-09-03 at the Wayback Machine ||||||

### Basra Governorate

| Party | Party | Total votes | Percentage | Seats | Party leader |
| | State of Law Coalition | 292,658 | 45.17% | 16 | Nouri al-Maliki |
| | Citizens Alliance | 121,875 | 18.81% | 6 | Ammar al-Hakim |
| | Liberal Coalition | 58,312 | 9.00% | 3 | Muqtada al-Sadr |
| | Basra Independent Coalition | 29,384 | 4.54% | 2 | |
| | Gathering of Justice and Unity | 24,513 | 3.78% | 1 | al-Faiz |
| | Al Barsa’s Civil Alliance | 17,541 | 2.71% | 1 | |
| | Alternative Movement | 15,643 | 2.41% | 1 | |
| | Islamic Dawa Party – Iraq Organisation | 15,493 | 2.39% | 1 | Hashim Al-Mosawy |
| | Will of Iraq Movement | 13,940 | 2.15% | 1 | |
| | Al Iraqia National and United Coalition | 13,319 | 2.06% | 1 | Ayad Allawi |
| | Muttahidoon | 10,386 | 1.60% | 1 | Osama al-Nujaifi |
| Other parties | Other parties | 34,873 | 5.38% | - | |
| Total | Total | 647,937 | 100% | 35 | |
| Sources: ISW, al-Sumaria – Basra Coalitions, IHEC Basra Results ||||||

### Dhi Qar Governorate

| Party | Party | Total votes | Percentage | Seats | Party leader |
| | State of Law Coalition | 176,861 | 33.11% | 10 | Nouri al-Maliki |
| | Citizens Alliance | 122,088 | 22.84% | 7 | Ammar al-Hakim |
| | Liberal Coalition | 81,338 | 15.22% | 7 | Muqtada al-Sadr |
| | Solidarity with Iraq | 50,363 | 9.43% | 3 | Talib Qathem Abdul Karim Al Hassan |
| | National Loyalty Bloc | 43,369 | 8.12% | 3 | Habib Nour Mahdi Nehme |
| | National Partnership Gathering | 26,670 | 5.00% | 2 | Hamid naim Khudayr Abdullah |
| | Civil Democratic Coalition | 17,906 | 3.35% | 1 | Shahid Ahmad Hassan Mohamed |
| Other parties | Other parties | 15,720 | 2.93% | - | |
| Total | Total | 534,315 | 100% | 31 | |
| Sources: ISW, al-Sumaria – Dhi Qar Coalitions, IHEC Dhi Qar Results ||||||

### Diyala Governorate

| Party | Party | Total votes | Percentage | Seats | Party leader |
| | Diyala’s National Alliance | 170,292 | 37.08% | 12 | Nouri al-Maliki |
| | Iraqi Diyala | 149,535 | 32.56% | 10 | |
| | Feylis Kurds Brotherhood List | 49,415 | 10.76% | 3 | |
| | Al Iraqia National and United Coalition | 27,670 | 6.02% | 2 | Ayad Allawi |
| | Determined to Build | 17,935 | 3.90% | 1 | |
| | Diyala’s New Coalition | 13,980 | 3.04% | 1 | |
| Other parties | Other parties | 30,484 | 6.64% | - | |
| Total | Total | 459,311 | 100% | 29 | |
| Sources: ISW, al-Sumaria – Diyala Coalitions, IHEC Diyala Results ||||||

### Karbala Governorate

| Party | Party | Total votes | Percentage | Seats | Party leader |
| | State of Law Coalition | 84,447 | 26.43% | 7 | Nouri al-Maliki |
| | Liberal Coalition | 43,945 | 13.58% | 4 | Muqtada al-Sadr |
| | Al Liwa | 33,614 | 10.39% | 3 | |
| | Citizens Alliance | 33,362 | 10.31% | 3 | Ammar al-Hakim |
| | Hope for the Mesopotamia | 32,527 | 10.03% | 3 | |
| | Equitable State Movement | 32,454 | 10.03% | 3 | |
| | National Moderation Front | 18,501 | 5.72% | 2 | |
| | Iraq’s Advocates for State Support | 13,102 | 4.05% | 1 | |
| | Iraqi Justice and Democracy Alliance | 8,559 | 2.64% | 1 | |
| Other parties | Other parties | 23,288 | 6.85% | 2 | |
| Total | Total | 323,726 | 100% | 27 | |
| Sources: ISW, al-Sumaria – Karbala Coalitions, IHEC Karbala Results ||||||

### Maysan Governorate

| Party | Party | Total votes | Percentage | Seats | Party leader |
| | Liberal Coalition | 89,906 | 33.01% | 9 | Muqtada al-Sadr |
| | State of Law Coalition | 77,917 | 28.61% | 8 | Nouri al-Maliki |
| | Citizens Alliance | 63,060 | 23.15% | 6 | Ammar al-Hakim |
| | Honesty and Generosity | 11,605 | 4.26% | 1 | Sajed Abdul Wahed Karim Said |
| | National Partnership Gathering | 10,771 | 3.95% | 1 | Jasem Saheb Obeid Sadkhan |
| | National Flag Gathering | 9,814 | 3.60% | 1 | Naser Hussein Jabbar Ghadib |
| | Islamic Dawa Party – Iraq Organisation | 5,615 | 2.06% | 1 | Hashim Al-Mosawy |
| Other parties | Other parties | 3,665 | 1.35% | - | |
| Total | Total | 272,353 | 100% | 27 | |
| Sources: ISW, al-Sumaria – Maysan Coalitions, IHEC Maysan Results ||||||

### Muthanna Governorate

| Party | Party | Total votes | Percentage | Seats | Party leader |
| | State of Law Coalition | 76,777 | 30.61% | 9 | Nouri al-Maliki |
| | Citizens Alliance | 67,203 | 26.79% | 7 | Ammar al-Hakim |
| | Liberal Coalition | 31,290 | 12.47% | 3 | Muqtada al-Sadr |
| | Independent Iraqi Qualifications Gathering | 27,065 | 10.79% | 3 | Adel Nazek Abdul Saheb Ali |
| | Gathering for Al Muthana | 24,931 | 9.94% | 2 | Mohamd Radi Sultan Ashlukh |
| | Al Muthanna Alliance for Change & Reconstruction | 17,561 | 7.00% | 2 | Ghazi Mussa Kathem Abdul Hussein |
| Other parties | Other parties | 6,029 | 2.40% | - | |
| Total | Total | 250,856 | 100% | 26 | |
| Sources: ISW, al-Sumaria – Muthanna Coalitions, IHEC Muthanna Results Archived 2013-11-01 at the Wayback Machine ||||||

### Najaf Governorate

| Party | Party | Total votes | Percentage | Seats | Party leader |
| | Loyalty to Najaf | 118,310 | 29.33% | 9 | Adnan al-Zurufi |
| | Citizens Alliance | 82,020 | 20.34% | 6 | Ammar al-Hakim |
| | State of Law Coalition | 76,519 | 18.97% | 5 | Nouri al-Maliki |
| | Liberal Coalition | 45,167 | 11.20% | 4 | Muqtada al-Sadr |
| | Equitable State Movement | 25,889 | 6.42% | 2 | |
| | Najaf Province’s Change Coalition | 14,464 | 3.59% | 1 | |
| | National Partnership Gathering | 14,314 | 3.55% | 1 | |
| | Renaissance and Building Gathering | 8,521 | 2.11% | 1 | |
| | Islamic Dawa Party – Iraq Organisation | 7,571 | 1.88% | 1 | Hashim Al-Mosawy |
| Other parties | Other parties | 10,546 | 2.61% | - | |
| Total | Total | 403,321 | 100% | 29 | |
| Sources: ISW, al-Sumaria – Najaf Coalitions, IHEC Najaf Results ||||||

### Nineveh Governorate

| Party | Party | Total votes | Percentage | Seats | Party leader |
| | Brotherhood and Coexistence Alliance List | 173,687 | 29.87% | 11 | |
| | Muttahidoon | 129,556 | 22.28% | 8 | Osama al-Nujaifi |
| | Loyalty to Nineveh List | 66,517 | 11.44% | 4 | Saleh al-Mutlaq |
| | United Nineveh | 45,971 | 7.91% | 3 | Sheikh Abdullah al-Yawer |
| | Iraqi Construction and Justice Gathering | 39,126 | | 3 | Deldar Zebari |
| | Al Iraqia National and United Coalition | 31,276 | | 2 | Ayad Allawi |
| | Nineveh's Bravery Coalition | 23,361 | | 1 | |
| | Nineveh's National Alliance | 22,734 | | 1 | |
| | Oum Rabih Tribes' National Gathering | 21,349 | | 1 | Hassan Khulayf |
| | Al Shabak Freemen Council | 12,689 | | 1 | |
| | Yazidi Movement for Reform and Progress | 10,397 | | 1 | |
| | Iraqi People's Coalition | 8,633 | | 1 | |
| | Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Gathering Coalition | 8,635 | | 1 | |
| | Iraq's Benevolence and Generosity List | 8,076 | | 1 | Dr Rushdi Said |
| Other parties | Other parties | | | | |
| Total | Total | 581,449 | 100% | 39 | |
| Sources: al-Sumaria – Nineveh Coalitions, IHEC Archived 2017-08-09 at the Wayback Machine ||||||

### Al-Qādisiyyah Governorate

| Party | Party | Total votes | Percentage | Seats | Party leader |
| | State of Law Coalition | 114,697 | | 8 | Nouri al-Maliki |
| | Citizens Alliance | 66,691 | | 5 | Ammar al-Hakim |
| | Liberal Coalition | 50,544 | | 4 | Muqtada al-Sadr |
| | Al Diwaniyah People's Independent Coalition | 49,831 | | 4 | Jaafar Mussa Zaalan Hachem |
| | National White Bloc | 33,092 | | 2 | Khudayr Sharif Khudayr Razam |
| | Islamic Dawa Party – Iraq Organisation | 29,517 | | 2 | Hashim Al-Mosawy |
| | Loyalty to Iraq Coalition | 11,207 | | 1 | Baqer Ali Shaalan Salman |
| | Al Diwaniyah's Civil Alliance | 9,472 | | 1 | Ali Fawzi Zaydan Kitn |
| | Equitable State Movement | 8,141 | | 1 | Ghanem Mekled Jalub Aziz |
| Other parties | Other parties | | | | |
| Total | Total | | 100% | 28 | |
| Sources: ISW, al-Sumaria – Al-Qādisiyyah Coalitions, IHEC Al-Qādisiyyah Results Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine ||||||

### Saladin Governorate

| Party | Party | Total votes | Percentage | Seats | Party leader |
| | Iraqi People's Coalition | 95,338 | | 7 | Ahmed al-Juburi |
| | Muttahidoon | 79,705 | | 5 | Osama al-Nujaifi |
| | Iraq's Authenticity Coalition | 66,549 | | 5 | |
| | Al Iraqia National and United Coalition | 46,287 | | 3 | Ayad Allawi |
| | Salahuddine National Alliance | 39,447 | | 3 | |
| | Equality Front | 27,654 | | | |
| | Arabian Al Iraqia | 24,167 | | 2 | Saleh al-Mutlaq |
| | Salahuddine Unified Coalition | 23,497 | | 2 | Mukhlaf Audi Sueid Mukhlaf |
| | Brotherhood and Coexistence Alliance List | 21,373 | | 1 | Mohamed Chehab Mohamed Samin |
| | Salahuddine Turkmen's list | 18,395 | | 1 | Ali Hachem Nuri Hassan |
| Other parties | Other parties | | | | |
| Total | Total | | 100% | 29 | |
| Sources: ISW, al-Sumaria – Salah ad Din Coalitions, IHEC Salah ad Din Results ||||||

### Wasit Governorate

| Party | Party | Total votes | Percentage | Seats | Party leader |
| | State of Law Coalition | 96,664 | 27.22% | 7 | Nouri al-Maliki |
| | Citizens Alliance | 86,403 | 24.33% | 7 | Ammar al-Hakim |
| | Liberal Coalition | 63,584 | 17.91% | 5 | Muqtada al-Sadr |
| | Loyal Hands’ Gathering | 29,969 | 8.44% | 2 | |
| | Social Justice State | 28,446 | 8.01% | 2 | |
| | Iraq's Benevolence and Generosity List | 13,678 | 3.85% | 1 | Dr Rushdi Said |
| | Al Iraqia National and United Coalition | 13,055 | 3.68% | 1 | Ayad Allawi |
| | Equitable State Movement | 8,447 | 2.38% | 1 | |
| | Civil Democratic Alliance in Waset | 8,420 | 2.37% | 1 | |
| | Feylis Kurds Brotherhood List | 2,212 | 0.62% | 1 | |
| Other parties | Other parties | 4,181 | 1.18% | | |
| Total | Total | 355,059 | 100% | 28 | |
| Sources: ISW, al-Sumaria – Wasit Coalitions, IHEC Wasit Results ||||||