Leader Barzani meets Iraqi Electoral Commission Head to discuss election preparations

Shafaq News/ On Thursday, the head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), leader Masoud Barzani, met with Judge Abbas Farhan, the Iraqi High Electoral Commission (IHEC) Commissioner, and the member of the Board of Commissioners Judge Amer Musa Mohammed.

According to Barzani's office, the discussions delved into the preparations of the federal commission for conducting parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan Region and the necessary measures to facilitate a smooth electoral process "for ensuring fair, transparent, and free elections."

On March 3, 2024, Kurdish President Nechirvan Barzani signed a decree specifying the date for the sixth parliamentary elections for the Kurdistan Parliament on June 10.

On the same day, IHEC called Kurdish political parties operating in the KRI and aiming to participate in the elections to register political alliances within a maximum period of nine days.

However, KDP decided to boycott the upcoming parliamentary, warning of potential withdrawal from Iraq's political process.

KDP denounced the decisions made by the Iraqi Federal Supreme Court regarding the Kurdistan Region elections, which included canceling the 11 seats of minorities in the Kurdish Parliament, Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission to take over from KRG's electoral commission to supervise parliamentary elections, and dividing Kurdistan into four constituencies instead of the single-constituency system in previous elections.

Notably, the political division in Kurdistan is one of the main issues that could empower the federal government against the Region.

Despite the KDP's reservations about the elections, PUK, its main rival, affirms its full readiness.

"The Kurdistan Parliament elections will be held as scheduled. Anything else is not an option for us," Bafel Talabani, PUK head, said.