Election opportunity to rebuild country, resolve outstanding issues, says Iraq President

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – President Barham Salih said on Saturday that the vote marks an opportunity to rebuild the crisis-torn country and solving deep outstanding issues.

Iraq’s over 25 million eligible voters will have the chance on Sunday to cast their ballots in the country's election, brought forward by several months as a concession to popular demands of the October 2019 protests.

“We are awaiting an important, historic, and crucial election in Iraq,” Salih said in a televised speech on Saturday afternoon less than 24 hours before the polling centers open their doors.

The polling centers will open as early as 7:00 a.m. Erbil time and they will close at 6:00 p.m., according to Iraq’s election authority.

The early election is “an opportunity” to rebuild Iraq’s scattered state and solve its deeply rooted crises that had crippled the economy, Salih added.

Advance polling for members of the security forces and internally displaced persons took place on Friday, with the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) stating voter turnout stood at 69 percent.

The results of the vote are expected be announced to the public within 24 hours after polls close, the IHEC has said.