Kurdistan Officials Emphasize Security and Voter Turnout in Iraqi Parliamentary Election

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — As citizens across the Kurdistan Region and Iraq head to the polls for the sixth parliamentary election, top government officials have issued calls for robust voter participation while assuring the public of extensive security measures to safeguard the process.

Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Minister of Interior, Reber Ahmed, after casting his ballot in Pirmam on Tuesday, urged voters to exercise their constitutional right. In a press statement, he called on citizens to "participate in the voting process and elect their true representatives."

The Minister emphasized the importance of selecting candidates who will remain loyal to their constituents' interests in Baghdad. He asked voters to choose "those who are trustworthy and will neither betray their voters in Baghdad nor fail to defend the constitutional rights of our citizens, so they can be true representatives of the people of Kurdistan in Baghdad."

Ensuring a secure environment for this democratic exercise is a top priority, according to the Director-General of the Kurdistan Region Police, Major General Tariq Ahmed. In a separate press conference, he announced that all polling stations are being protected under a pre-established plan by the Ministry of Interior.

Major General Ahmed praised the security forces for their professional conduct, stating, "Last Sunday, the security forces of the Region successfully carried out their duties to maintain peace and security at polling stations... I extend my sincere thanks to them and hope that today, they will continue to fulfill their duties in the same manner until the end of the election process."

He detailed the command structure for election security, noting, "The Ministry of Interior has formed an operations room, which I personally lead. All relevant security agencies, the election commission, and the Ministry of Peshmerga have representatives in this room." He confirmed that, "Fortunately, no problems have arisen so far."

Furthermore, Major General Ahmed highlighted coordination with federal counterparts. "The Higher Security Committee, headed by the Minister of Interior, is in full coordination with the federal security committee," he said. The Director-General concluded with an assurance: "From the operations room, we are closely monitoring the situation. In the event of any problem, we will resolve it as quickly as possible."

Polling stations for the sixth session of the Iraqi Parliament opened at 7:00 AM on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, with voting scheduled to continue until 6:00 PM. Across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, more than 20 million citizens are eligible to elect 329 members to the new parliament. Of these, nine seats are allocated under a quota system for minority components: five for Christians, one for Sabean-Mandaeans, one for Feyli Kurds, one for the Shabak, and one for Yazidis. In the Kurdistan Region, more than 2.8 million people are eligible to vote.

The coordinated message from the Kurdistan Regional Government underscores a dual focus on facilitating a high-turnout, democratic election and guaranteeing a secure and orderly environment for voters. The emphasis on electing strong representatives reflects the Region's strategic goal of effectively defending its constitutional rights at the federal level in Baghdad.