Election preparations complete in Duhok ahead of Kurdistan Parliamentary polls

Shafaq News/ The Duhok office of the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) announced, on Sunday, that it has completed all necessary preparations for the upcoming Kurdistan Parliament elections, scheduled for October 20.

Speaking to Shafaq News Agency, Khalid Abbas, Director of the Duhok office, stated, "The office has received all the required equipment and materials, and their readiness has been confirmed to ensure the electoral process runs smoothly."

Abbas noted that the election campaign has been well-organized so far, with no formal complaints of violations being submitted to the commission. However, he did mention that fines have been imposed on several candidates for breaching election campaign regulations.

He also added, "The distribution of biometric voting cards is still ongoing and is expected to conclude by October 15," highlighting that 98% of eligible voters in Duhok have already received their biometric cards, indicating a strong voter response.

In Duhok, 738,000 eligible voters are expected to participate in the election, with 264 general polling stations and 33 special polling stations prepared, ensuring the region’s readiness for broad voter participation in this electoral event.

In June, President Nechirvan Barzani issued a Regional decree setting October 20, 2024, as the official date for the Kurdistan parliamentary elections.

Elections for Kurdistan’s parliament, originally scheduled for 2022, were set for June 10. However, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which has the parliamentary majority, announced it would boycott the election in protest of a ruling issued by Iraq's Federal Supreme Court.

This court decided to cancel 11 seats reserved for minority groups, including Turkmen, Assyrians, Christians, and Armenians, reducing the number of Regional Parliament seats to 100.

The ruling also changed the electoral system, dividing the Kurdistan Region into four constituencies instead of the single-constituency system used in the 2018 elections.

The federal court ruling also gave authority to the Iraqi IHEC to organize and oversee Regional elections instead of the Kurdish Regional Election Commission.

In late May, the federal court issued a new ruling restoring five seats reserved for minorities, a move that Kurdish officials said helped ease tensions and convinced the KDP to agree to participate in the October elections.

The October vote is expected to elect 100 new lawmakers representing the governorates of Iraqi Kurdistan: Erbil (34 seats, including one for Christians and one for Turkmen), Halabja (three seats), Al-Sulaymaniyah (38 seats, including one for Christians and one for Turkmen), and Duhok (25 seats, including one for Christians).