IHEC announces delays Kurdistan Region parliamentary elections

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Emad Jamil, a top official from the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), on Wednesday told Kurdistan24 that the commission will not be able to hold the Kurdistan Region parliamentary elections due to the postponement of the Federal Supreme Court’s decision on the quota seats to Jan. 21.

The senior official also added that they have officially notified the Kurdistan Region presidency and requested an agreement to set another date for the elections.

Following a one-year delay to the election, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani in August set Feb. 25, 2024 as the new date for the election.

The news contravenes recent comments made by a top Kurdistan Region official, who had told Kurdistan24 that there are currently no hurdles to holding the elections on time. 

Read More: Kurdistan Region parliamentary elections to be held on time, says presidency official

In the absence of an active Kurdistan electoral mission mandate, the IHEC is by law authorized to organize parliamentary elections.

Every four years, Kurdistan Region parliamentary elections are held to elect the 111 members. The election was first held in 1992 and the most recent election was held in 2018. 

Dawid Salman, the Director of the IHEC, previously told Kurdistan24 that there are 3.6 million eligible voters in the Kurdistan Region.

Editing by Dastan Muwaffaq