Shafaq News/ Japan’s Embassy in Iraq announced, on Monday, a two million dollars contribution to an UN-led project to support and assist capacity-building within the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC).

The Embassy said in a statement that Japan offered 216 million JPY (about two million dollars) to support the Iraqi Electoral Commission, which is preparing to hold the parliamentary elections in October 2021.

The Japanese Ambassador to Iraq, Suzuki Kotaro, considered the elections as “the most fundamental occasion to translate Iraqi people's will and aspirations into national politics. I hope that the assistance from the Government and people of Japan will help strengthen IHEC’s IT capacities and implementation of COVID-19 preventive measures. I believe that our assistance contributes to the Iraqi Government’s effort in ensuring transparency and credibility of the upcoming elections.

According to the Embassy, on behalf of UNAMI, UNDP signed an agreement with Japan to manage the financing and administration of the project.

The Embassy confirmed that The United Nations thanks Japan for its contribution, which “strengthens support to the process of holding credible and transparent elections in Iraq.” said the Japanese funding will support IHEC as it prepares for the October 2021 parliamentary election.

Iraq’s cabinet decided to hold the parliamentary election on Oct. 10, 2021.

Early elections were a key demand of anti-government protesters who staged mass demonstrations that started in October 2019.