Counting completed for Kurdistan election, 425 violations claimed
The Kurdistan Region’s electoral commission said on Wednesday that it had concluded the process of counting votes and had begun addressing allegations of irregularities or violations in Sunday's election which include violence committed against its staff.
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Region’s electoral commission said on Wednesday that it had concluded the process of counting votes and had begun addressing allegations of irregularities or violations in Sunday's election which include violence committed against its staff.
The comments came during a press conference given in Erbil by Handren Mohammed Salih, head of the Independent High Election and Referendum Commission (IHERC), the body tasked with organizing and overseeing elections in the four provinces that make up the region. On Sunday, 773 candidates from 29 political parties competed for 111 seats in the parliament of the Kurdistan Region, not to be confused with Iraq's national parliament in Baghdad.
Salih explained that commission staff had completed the vote count on site at ballot casting stations and, without specifying further, added that initial results of the total would soon be announced. Ongoing reporting suggest results will likely be made public on Wednesday afternoon or evening.
Early unofficial results point to a decisive victory by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) with an approximate twenty seat lead over the second place winner, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).
He added that the final results would come only after IHERC addresses all claims of fraud or inappropriate procedures being followed. According to IHERC, various parties or individuals have submitted 425 complaints to the commission, some of which would require thorough investigations.
Responding to a question on reports claiming incidents of violence against commission workers or election observers by members of the security forces, Salih stated that they had created a committee to look into the matter and take legal action.
"We will not forgive a single act of transgression against our employees and the perpetrators must be punished," he promised to IHERC staff members.
On Friday, a media rights group documented fifteen cases of violations against journalists and other media workers as security force members took part in early voting that day to free them up to protect polling centers for Sunday's public election. According to the complaints, security forces and other unidentified armed men used excessive force against or prevented coverage by journalists and film crews.
Editing by John J. Catherine
