Turkmen lawmaker: 260,000 non-Kerkuk residents voted in provincial elections

Shafaq News/ Turkmen lawmaker Arshad Salihi on Monday said that more than 260,000 people who are not residents of Kirkuk participated in the polls for a provincial council and accused the Independent High Election Commission (IHEC) of failing to verify the voter register ahead of the election.

Al-Salihi told the Shafaq News Agency that "Turkmen-majority areas in Kirkuk saw a widespread absence of voter fingerprints in the Turkmen areas. We are also dealing with an incomplete voter register."

He added that "I met with the IHEC chairman and the head of the high committee overseeing the verification of voter registers. They explained that they were unable to verify the voter register and said that we will go to the elections for the Kirkuk Provincial Council without verifying the voter register."

Salihi also said that "more than 260,000 people participated in the elections for the Kirkuk Provincial Council even though they are not residents of Kirkuk."

"Document from the Ministry of Trade confirmed that there is a discrepancy between the ration cards and civil identification cards of these people."

"Turkmen will ally with the side that will guarantee the rights of their component," he said. "But it is premature to start talking about political agreements."