The Kurdistan Region Parliament building, located in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region
Disbursement pending
Kurdistan Region polling staff payments expected ‘soon’ following three-month wait
SULAYMANIYAH — Three months on from the Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary elections, funds allocated for election workers and polling staff have been sent from Baghdad and are expected to be distributed “soon”, easing tensions among staff awaiting long-delayed payments.
Amanj Aziz, head of the Sulaymaniyah office of the Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission, told 964media, “Baghdad deposited the funds for polling station staff of the sixth Kurdistan parliamentary elections to the Trade Bank of Iraq account over a week ago.”
Elections for the Kurdistan Region’s parliament were held on Oct. 20, 2024, with approximately 41,000 staff members facilitating the process at polling stations across the region. The elections were overseen by the IHEC instead of the Kurdistan Region’s own electoral commission.
He added, “What remains is for Iraq’s electoral commission in Baghdad to authorize TBI to transfer the funds to banks in the Kurdistan Region. Afterward, we will distribute payments to election workers across districts, sub-districts, and towns.”
When asked about the expected timeline for disbursement, Aziz said, “No specific date has been set yet, but we hope the payments will be made soon.”
These workers, responsible for managing the electoral process at polling stations throughout the Kurdistan Region, were assured they would be paid “soon” after the election. However, despite Baghdad’s pledge to transfer the funds, “technical delays” have hindered the process, leaving polling staff frustrated.
Earlier this month, Marwan Mohammed, head of the Erbil Office of the Independent High Electoral Commission, told 964media, “It was decided that Baghdad would send the funds […] but due to some technical issues, the money hasn’t arrived yet.”
These workers include government employees, who are entitled to 150,000 IQD ($99), higher education graduates, who are set to receive 250,000 IQD ($166).
