Following reports of a deceased Iraqi candidate allegedly winning in the Iraqi general elections, a storm of criticism and debate has erupted politically and on social media. Unexpectedly, the name Ansam Manuel Iskander appeared among the winning parliamentary candidates for the Christian electoral district in Baghdad, where she received 2,397 votes. According to a page affiliated with Ansam, the late politician passed away due to COVID-19, and the page rejected claims of election misconduct.
A post on the late candidate's page clarified the situation: "Ansama received these votes despite her absence, due to two reasons; first, some knew she had passed away and still voted for her as a tribute, believing in her and wanting their votes to matter. The second point is that others were unaware of her death, hence they voted for her because she had a valuable professional journey and significant humanitarian contributions, and her support for youth had a large impact."
Niqia Iskander, the deceased candidate's aunt, stated in an interview with Sky News Arabia: "My niece Ansam died on August 19 of last month in Baghdad." She added, "Her name was included in the candidates' lists, but she passed away after those lists were printed and approved. This is not the electoral commission's fault, as many of her admirers chose to vote for her in remembrance of her, and some other voters were also unaware of her passing."
