Shafaq News/ Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission(IHEC) is fully prepared to conduct parliamentary elections in the KurdistanRegion, set for October 20, according to Judge Omar Ahmed, Chairman of theBoard of Commissioners.
In a press conference held in Erbil and attended by ShafaqNews, Ahmed stated, "We have signed a contract with the German electroniccertification company, programming, and auditing all electronic systems relatedto the upcoming elections in the Kurdistan Region." He affirmed that thecommission is "confident in the system's functionality and, following thelegal election period, will conduct both manual and electronic votecounting."
"The company has confirmed all devices are ready forthe process."
To further guarantee transparency, the commission has takenadditional steps, including manual counting alongside electronic methods, headded.
"We are fully prepared to carry out the elections onschedule, and we assure all parties that stringent measures have beenimplemented to guarantee transparency," Ahmed reiterated.
"We stand equidistant from all participating entities,and our measures prevent any interference that could influence the voters'will. Their votes are protected with the utmost integrity." He confirmed.
Ahmed revealed that several successful simulations, bothelectronic and manual, have been conducted under the supervision of UNAMI andparticipating entities.
In June, President Nechirvan Barzani issued a Regionaldecree setting October 20, 2024, as the official date for the Kurdistanparliamentary elections.
The October vote is expected to elect 100 new lawmakersrepresenting the governorates of Iraqi Kurdistan: Erbil (34 seats, includingone for Christians and one for Turkmen), Halabja (three seats), Al-Sulaymaniyah(38 seats, including one for Christians and one for Turkmen), and Duhok (25seats, including one for Christians).
According to the Electoral Commission, a total of 1,190candidates are running in the upcoming elections. These candidates aredistributed across two coalitions, 13 parties, and include 85 independents,alongside 39 candidates representing minority groups, forming a total of 139electoral lists.
The overall number of eligible voters amounts to 2,899,878.Of this total, 2,683,618 are registered for general voting, while 215,960 arelisted for special voting.
In preparation for the election, the commissionhas set up 1,266 polling centers and 6,318 polling stations, with 165 centersand 749 stations designated forspecialvoting.