US calls on Kurdish parties to ‘fulfil their obligations’ regarding election
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United States on Friday called on Kurdistan Region’s political parties to hold the delayed parliamentary election, adding that these parties have an obligation to take necessary steps in this regard.
“We look to the political parties in the IKR [Iraqi Kurdistan Region] to take the necessary steps to fulfil their obligations and hold elections, in compliance with democratic principles, the laws of the IKR, and the Iraqi constitution,” a US Department of State official told Rudaw English via email late Friday.
A new parliamentary vote was set to be held in October 2022, but disagreements between the Kurdish political parties, especially the ruling ones, over the existing elections law and the electoral commission prevented the process from being conducted on its scheduled time and pushed the legislature to extend its four-year term for an additional year.
The Kurdistan Region Presidency set November 18 for the poll but the Iraqi Federal Supreme Court in May deemed the self-extension of the Kurdistan parliament “unconstitutional” and dissolved it. This further complicated the issue. The Region’s presidency in recent days launched a new round of talks to discuss a new date for the election. The date is February 25 next year, Rudaw has learnt.
“The United States has long supported the principle that regular, free, and fair elections confer legitimacy to governments and give citizens a voice in who is chosen to represent them in government and a stake in how they are governed,” the US official added.
Dilshad Shahab, spokesperson for Kurdistan Region Presidency, said on Wednesday that the political parties they visited welcomed President Nechirvan Barzani’s fresh efforts to hold the poll and expressed their support.
“We look to the political parties in the IKR [Iraqi Kurdistan Region] to take the necessary steps to fulfil their obligations and hold elections, in compliance with democratic principles, the laws of the IKR, and the Iraqi constitution,” a US Department of State official told Rudaw English via email late Friday.
A new parliamentary vote was set to be held in October 2022, but disagreements between the Kurdish political parties, especially the ruling ones, over the existing elections law and the electoral commission prevented the process from being conducted on its scheduled time and pushed the legislature to extend its four-year term for an additional year.
The Kurdistan Region Presidency set November 18 for the poll but the Iraqi Federal Supreme Court in May deemed the self-extension of the Kurdistan parliament “unconstitutional” and dissolved it. This further complicated the issue. The Region’s presidency in recent days launched a new round of talks to discuss a new date for the election. The date is February 25 next year, Rudaw has learnt.
“The United States has long supported the principle that regular, free, and fair elections confer legitimacy to governments and give citizens a voice in who is chosen to represent them in government and a stake in how they are governed,” the US official added.
Dilshad Shahab, spokesperson for Kurdistan Region Presidency, said on Wednesday that the political parties they visited welcomed President Nechirvan Barzani’s fresh efforts to hold the poll and expressed their support.