Iraqi parliament extends term of electoral commission
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iraqi parliament on Wednesday voted to extend the term of the electoral commission for another six months, nearly two months before the end of its current term and with the scheduled date of the Kurdistan Region’s elections approaching.
The term of the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) was extended until January 6 of next year, state media reported. Its current term was set to end on July 7.
The decision comes less than a month before the scheduled date of the Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary elections, set for June 10. Despite the official date, uncertainty looms around whether the polls will take place on time.
Earlier this month, IHEC temporarily suspended preparations for the Kurdistan Region’s elections pending a ruling on a lawsuit filed by the Region’s Prime Minister Masrour Barzani against the division of the seats for the constituencies, and the removal of the minority quota seats.
Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected the lawsuit by Barzani, citing an earlier Supreme Judicial Council decision allocating five seats for the minorities in the Kurdistan Region’s parliament.
In February, a major ruling by Iraq’s top court labeled the 11 quota seats in the Kurdistan parliament reserved for ethnic and religious minorities as “unconstitutional”, therefore striking down their legitimacy and diminishing chances of minorities to attain representation in the legislature.
In response, the Kurdistan Region’s ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) decided to boycott the upcoming parliamentary elections set for June 10. Most Christian and Turkmen political parties joined the KDP in boycotting the elections, demanding the restoration of the quota seats.
The term of the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) was extended until January 6 of next year, state media reported. Its current term was set to end on July 7.
The decision comes less than a month before the scheduled date of the Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary elections, set for June 10. Despite the official date, uncertainty looms around whether the polls will take place on time.
Earlier this month, IHEC temporarily suspended preparations for the Kurdistan Region’s elections pending a ruling on a lawsuit filed by the Region’s Prime Minister Masrour Barzani against the division of the seats for the constituencies, and the removal of the minority quota seats.
Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected the lawsuit by Barzani, citing an earlier Supreme Judicial Council decision allocating five seats for the minorities in the Kurdistan Region’s parliament.
In February, a major ruling by Iraq’s top court labeled the 11 quota seats in the Kurdistan parliament reserved for ethnic and religious minorities as “unconstitutional”, therefore striking down their legitimacy and diminishing chances of minorities to attain representation in the legislature.
In response, the Kurdistan Region’s ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) decided to boycott the upcoming parliamentary elections set for June 10. Most Christian and Turkmen political parties joined the KDP in boycotting the elections, demanding the restoration of the quota seats.