Kurdistan Parliamentary elections preparations 95% ready: IHEC

Shafaq News/ The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) has completed 95% of the preparations for the upcoming Kurdistan Region Parliamentary elections, scheduled for October 20, according to Commission Chairman Judge Omar Ahmed Mohammed.

Speaking at a press conference in Erbil, Mohammed stated that "voting papers have been distributed to polling centers, and a significant portion of biometric voting cards have been handed out," urging remaining voters to "collect their cards to participate in the elections, as voting will not be possible without them."

Regarding general and special voting day preparations, Mohammed confirmed that all necessary electronic devices have been allocated to polling centers and that the Commission is fully prepared to conduct fair and transparent elections.

"We have invited observers, consulates, and international organizations to monitor the elections," Mohammed said, noting that nine consulates and eight international organizations, along with local entities, have expressed readiness to participate.

Additionally, Mohammed announced that 41,000 election-day staff members have been recruited, with a portion already trained and the rest set to receive training soon.

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).