Payment delays frustrate Kurdistan Region parliamentary election staff two months on from poll

ERBIL — Payments for over 41,000 workers who supervised ballot boxes during the sixth Kurdistan parliamentary elections in October, 2024, remain unpaid despite completing their duties more than 70 days ago.

These workers, tasked with overseeing the electoral process across polling stations in the Kurdistan Region, had been promised their payments shortly after the election. However, despite Baghdad’s stated commitment to transfer the funds, technical delays have stalled the process, leaving workers frustrated and uncertain about when they will receive their wages.

Marwan Mohammed, head of the Erbil Office of the Independent High Electoral Commission, told 964media, “It was decided that Baghdad would send the funds today for the Kurdistan parliamentary election workers, but due to some technical issues, the money hasn’t arrived yet. We are confident it will be transferred within the next day or two and then distributed to the workers.”

Mohammed emphasized the lack of clarity on when the payment would actually arrive, stating: “So far, the funds have not been deposited into our bank account, and no specific timeline has been given.”

Efforts to follow up on the issue continued, with Amanj Aziz, head of the IHEC’s Sulaymaniyah office, also commenting on the delay, “the money has not yet been transferred into our designated bank account, and we still do not have a clear date for when it will arrive.”

Aziz noted that approximately 14,500 workers from Sulaymaniyah, Halabja are among those affected.

“The funds will be transferred to Kurdistan through the TBI Bank, and then distributed across other local banks. In Sulaymaniyah alone, payments will be managed through 18 banks to ensure that all workers receive their dues,” Aziz added.

The payment structure allocated 150,000 Iraqi dinars (approximately $99) for government employees, 250,000 dinars (approximately $165) for university and institute graduates, and 100,000 dinars (approximately $66) for high school graduates who participated in managing polling stations.