Some security personnel caught trying to photograph ballots in Halabja
Reports from Kurdistan24's correspondent in Halabja indicate that some security personnel attempted to photograph their ballots with mobile phones, leading to protests from political party representatives.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The special voting process for security forces in Halabja encountered complications on Friday as the Kurdistan Region prepares for its sixth parliamentary elections.
Reports from Kurdistan24's correspondent in Halabja indicate that some security personnel attempted to photograph their ballots with mobile phones, leading to protests from political party representatives.
The incident highlights the tension between personal documentation and electoral integrity.
According to election commission regulations, voters are prohibited from bringing mobile phones into polling stations. However, Anwar Omar, Halabja's Chief of Police, told Kurdistan24, "We're working to resolve this issue. Some voters may want to take a picture of their voting experience to share on social media. Ultimately, you have the freedom to choose who you vote for."
Omar added that he had consulted with the election commission about the matter. "They informed us that they lack the facilities to safeguard mobile phones and will not accept them under any circumstances," he explained.
The special voting for security forces began at 7:00 AM on Friday, October 18, 2024, and will continue until 6:00 PM. The election is being overseen by the Independent High Electoral Commission of Iraq (IHEC).
According to IHEC statistics, the total number of eligible voters for the Kurdistan Parliament's sixth term election is 2,889,878, with 215,960 classified as special voters participating in today's poll.
The breakdown of special voters by electoral district is as follows:
- Erbil: 89,791
- Sulaymaniyah: 78,661
- Duhok: 46,556
- Halabja: 952
To accommodate special voting, 165 polling stations have been established across the Kurdistan Region, with an additional 12 stations in other Iraqi cities:
- Erbil: 62 stations
- Sulaymaniyah: 57 stations
- Duhok: 33 stations
- Halabja: 1 station
- Nineveh: 4 stations
- Baghdad: 3 stations
- Kirkuk, Anbar, Salahuddin, Diyala, and Wasit: 1 station each
The general election for the sixth term of the Kurdistan Parliament is scheduled for Sunday, October 20, 2024. IHEC has announced that preliminary results will be released within 24 hours of the conclusion of the voting process.
As the Kurdistan Region moves forward with this crucial democratic exercise, the incident in Halabja underscores the ongoing challenges of balancing transparency, personal freedom, and electoral security in the digital age.