Commission's response to Kurdistan Region election date declaration
Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, the Independent High Electoral Commission of Iraq (IHEC) commented on the announcement by Nechirvan Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, setting October 20, 2024, as the date for parliamentary elections in the region.
Commission spokesperson Joumana Al-Ghallay told Shafaq News that "IHEC is awaiting the official notification of the Kurdistan Region Parliament elections date," stating that "the Board of Commissioners will officially announce its position along with further details regarding this date."
Al-Ghallay added that "the Independent High Electoral Commission strictly deals with official notifications, and upon receipt of the regional decree, it will be handled formally. The Board of Commissioners will convene to determine its stance."
Earlier today, President Barzani announced the issuance of a regional decree setting October 20, 2024, as the date for parliamentary elections in Kurdistan.
The announcement came during a press conference in Erbil, where Dilshad Shahab, spokesperson for the Kurdish Presidency, disclosed details from Regional Decree No. 222 of 2024.
According to the decree, citing provisions from Article 10, paragraph two, of Law No. 1 of 2005, as amended, of the Presidency of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq:
- October 20, 2024, has been designated for the general elections of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq Parliament for its sixth session.
- Relevant authorities are directed to collaborate with the Independent High Electoral Commission to ensure the decree's implementation.
- The decree is effective immediately upon issuance and will be published in the Official Gazette.
Shahab noted that this marks the fifth decree issued by President Barzani to schedule elections for Kurdistan's sixth parliamentary session.
Notably, the Kurdistan Region elections were initially scheduled two years ago but have faced several delays since then. The polls were most recently set for June 10, but the Iraqi electoral body announced its inability to supervise the process on that date, proposing September 5 as an alternative. However, a new date for the elections has not been announced.
