ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The Tammuz Organization for Election Monitoring announced on Saturday that it recorded at least 20 violations of Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) regulations during the first day of the “electoral silence” period.

The campaigning window for Iraq’s elections officially ended on Friday, with the country entering “electoral silence” days ahead of the upcoming polls.

Razaq Obaid, director of the organization’s office in Dhi Qar, told The New Region that monitoring teams recorded violations across several areas on the first day of the silence period, including Suq al-Shuyukh, Nasiriyah, Shatra, and al-Chibayish.

“The most common violations were the movement of campaign billboards using vehicles and motorcycles, and the placement of advertisements within less than 100 meters of polling centers,” Obaid said. “This is a clear breach of election law, which bans any campaign activity near polling stations during the silence period.”

He added that the organization will continue to document and monitor all campaign-related violations, stressing the importance of candidates respecting the principles of integrity and fair competition to ensure a transparent election process.

Nibras Abu Souda, deputy spokesperson for the IHEC, on Saturday told state media that the electoral body did not record "any serious violations" of the silence period on the first day, adding that upon detecting any violation, the IHEC will "assess the extent of the resulting damage in order to determine the appropriate penalty."

Before the silence period began, the watchdog had also documented 75 campaign violations in Dhi Qar during the one-month campaign season. 

Most of these violations, Obaid noted, involved placing advertisements near government buildings, schools, and public facilities, in violation of the IHEC’s instructions.

“The fieldwork focused on observing candidates’ compliance with campaign rules, especially the use of designated advertising areas and avoiding government or educational spaces,” Obaid said.

“Violations included posters and banners on the walls of public offices and schools, and all reports were submitted to the concerned authorities.”

Falah al-Moussawi, director of the Dhi Qar elections office, said that the IHEC has fined 16 candidates so far, with penalties ranging between 2 million and 5 million Iraqi dinars, depending on the type and scale of the violation.

He added that IHEC teams are continuing to monitor campaign activities even during the silence period to ensure full compliance by all candidates and political blocs.

“The main goal is to guarantee fairness and integrity in the electoral competition and protect the voters’ right to choose their representatives freely and transparently,” Moussawi said.