IHEC postpones Kurdistan parliamentary elections

ERBIL, January 4 — The Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) has officially postponed the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) parliamentary elections scheduled for February 25, 2024.

IHEC spokesperson Jumana Ghalai confirmed to 964 that a letter was dispatched to the KRG presidency, citing the commission’s inability to conduct the region’s elections on the initially specified date and that the delay would be temporary.

The KRG presidency had announced February 25, 2024, as the new date for the parliamentary elections in August 2023.

Galai said the delay was due to legal, financial, and technical considerations. The Iraqi Council of Ministers had allocated more than 70 billion dinars on December 12, 2023 to facilitate the Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary elections and address issues related to drought and floods in the region.

Despite the delay, Iraq’s federal court is yet to determine whether the elections will occur in one or more constituencies within the Kurdish region.

The court is set to discuss the issue on January 21.