Politics

U.S. holding Kurdish parliamentary elections without further delay: U.S. Deputy Ambassador

U.S. Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood underlined the U.S. support for the Iraqi Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary elections to be held later this spring without further delay.

Wladimir van Wilgenburg 2024/02/06 22:25

U.S. Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood (Photo: UN)

Kurdistan UN Security Council US State Department Kurdistan Elections US Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – U.S. Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood on Tuesday, during a special meeting on Iraq in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), stressed that the U.S. supports holding parliamentary elections in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region later this spring without further delay.

“We encourage UNAMI’s further preparations with Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission to support the Iraqi Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary elections later this spring without further delay. We strongly support the continuation of such technical assistance to IHEC,” Wood said.

The Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) in early January stated that the commission will not be able to hold the Kurdistan Region parliamentary elections on Feb. 25, 2024 due to the postponement of the Federal Supreme Court’s decision on the quota seats to Jan. 21.

The UN Special Envoy for Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, also said regretfully that the election was postponed, and that they are now waiting for a new date.

Moreover, she added that Iran-backed have attacked U.S. and Coalition forces in Iraq, Syria, and Jordan over 165 times.

“Tragically, three U.S. soldiers were killed and dozens more injured on January 28 when Iran-aligned militia groups attacked U.S. forces stationed in Jordan to take part in the fight against ISIS. I said it yesterday and I’ll say it again: This loss is devastating. This is unacceptable. And attacks like it cannot continue.”

On Friday, the U.S. responded to the drone attack, hitting Iranian-backed groups in Iraq and Syria, killing at least 16 members of the Iranian-backed militias.