Kurdistan elections: Field investigation launched into voting device integrity
Shafaq News/ A specialized committee overseeing Kurdistan’s parliamentary elections announced on Saturday a field investigation into several voting devices used within electoral commission centers in the Hawana district of Al-Sulaymaniyah.
The inspection will involve a Korean technical firm and representatives of political factions that have raised concerns regarding election integrity.
According to a statement from MP Muthana Amin’s office of the Kurdistan Islamic Union bloc, seen by Shafaq News Agency, this investigation was initiated upon requests by MPs Muthana Amin and Dara Siqanyani, members of the Union Bloc in Iraq’s parliament, along with other parliamentary factions, who appealed to the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) to verify the transparency and fairness of voting in the Kurdistan Region’s elections.
The statement further clarified that both MPs met with a senior electoral commission committee to monitor the progress of the investigation.
Per the committee's decision, a delegation will visit commission centers in Hawana to conduct on-site inspections addressing the submitted complaints. The review will be carried out with the participation of the Korean technical firm and representatives from relevant political groups. The investigation includes examining specific voting devices chosen by the committee, and photographic records of ballot samples and voided votes will be provided to the MPs for review.
At the conclusion of the investigation, both MPs will release the findings to the public.
The investigation occurs amid heightened political tensions in Kurdistan over the transparency of the October 20 parliamentary elections. The committee’s goal is to reinforce transparency and validate adherence to standards of integrity, particularly following allegations of potential electoral fraud from several political groups.
This investigation is considered an important step toward reassuring the public and protecting voters' rights, amid increasing calls for enhanced monitoring of the electoral process in the Kurdistan Region.
Notably, Kurdistan’s sixth Parliamentary elections took place on Sunday, where 1,091 candidates competed for 100 seats, five of which are reserved for minority groups.
The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) has emerged as the leading party with 39 seats, followed by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) with 23 seats, and the New Generation Movement (Al-Jil Al-Jadeed-NGM) securing 15 seats.
