Shafaq News – Erbil

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani cast his ballot on Tuesday morning as voting began across Iraq for the 2025 parliamentary elections.

Barzani voted along with his son, Idris, at a polling station in Erbil, urging citizens to take part in the democratic process and shape the country’s future through the ballot box.

“We hope these elections will mark the beginning of a new phase for Iraq,” the President said, adding that “Kurdistan must be stronger in Baghdad.”

In a speech on Monday, the President called for “free, fair, and transparent elections that reflect the will of the Iraqi people,” emphasizing that broad participation was vital to strengthening democracy and stability across Iraq.

More than 21 million registered voters are eligible nationwide, including over three million in the Kurdistan Region.

Polling centers opened at 7:00 a.m. under the supervision of the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) and are scheduled to remain open until 6:00 p.m. local time.

Across Iraq, 7,768 candidates have been approved to compete for 329 parliamentary seats, including 301 Kurdish contenders representing parties and independents from the Kurdistan Region.

Read more: Iraq’s 2025 poll: +21M voters, new law, fading monitors, and fierce bloc rivalries