Iraqi political parties woo celebrities for election campaign

Some of Iraq’s political parties seek to bring mass media celebrities on board for the upcoming legislative elections.
Nasiriyah protesters
Iraqi political parties are attempting to recruit media celebrities who have backed the Iraqi protest movement in order to win votes in the Oct. 10, 2021, elections. Here, Iraqis wave the national flag during a gathering rejecting the nomination of Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi as prime minister-designate in the city of Nasiriyah in Iraq's southern Dhi Qar province on Feb. 2, 2020, following the resignation two months earlier of Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi under growing street pressure. - ASAAD NIAZI/AFP via Getty Images
Mustafa_Saadoun.jpg
Mustafa Saadoun
@SaadoonMustafa

As Iraq’s government set the fifth general election since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003 for Oct. 10, some political parties have resorted to a new strategy in preparation for the campaign.

The strategy consists of relying on famous media figures and social media celebrities with thousands of followers in a bid to attract new voter segments.

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