Shafaq News/ The legal term’s expiration for the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission’s (IHEC) Board of Commissioners could affect the timely conduct of the upcoming parliamentary elections, Mohammed Anouz, a member of the Parliament’s Legal Committee, confirmed on Wednesday.

The legal term for the IHEC officially ended on January 7, 2025.

Anouz told Shafaq News Agency, “The expiration of IHEC's legal term leaves Parliament with two options: either extend the current board's term or move forward with selecting a new commission for the elections.'"

"This issue could delay the upcoming parliamentary elections (expected by October 2025) due to a lack of agreement among political blocs on the future of the commission," he explained. "Some parties want to extend the current Board of Commissioners, while others call for the selection of a new board."

Anouz further confirmed that the Parliament will address this issue in the first session of the new legislative term to make a "swift and decisive decision."

Earlier, Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani announced an extraordinary session for Sunday, January 5, 2024, to deliberate on extending the term of the IHEC’s Board of Commissioners.

However, MP Zahra Al-Bajari from the Sadiqoun bloc declared the session "illegitimate" due to procedural violations. "MPs learned about the extraordinary session through media outlets rather than official channels. As a result, we rule out the possibility of holding the session due to the absence of a quorum," she said.