Iraq’s fast-approaching 30 April general election has so far been overshadowed by the ongoing armed conflict in the western province of Al-Anbar, and a deteriorating security climate nationwide. The instability has cast doubts on whether the elections will need to be postponed, though, on 25 February, Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki stressed the importance of holding the vote on time. Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) has so far approved 107 political entities to run (down from more than 270 on a list issued in November), and there are 328 seats being contested. Having emerged from the 2013 provincial elections with the largest number of seats, Maliki’s State of Law Coalition (SLC), which remains popular among Iraq’s Shia population, is expected to dominate the polls.