ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Iraq’s parliament has agreed to reject the votes of the Iraqi diaspora and those of internally displaced people (IDPs). It has also called for a manual recount of 10 percent of the votes in response to allegations of fraud. Members are calling for election commission members to resign. 

In an exceptional session of the Iraqi parliament, MPs decided to annul diaspora and conditional votes – including those of IDPs – in all provinces except Nineveh.

Following calls from several parties, the parliament agreed to manually recount 10 percent of the votes cast nationally. If there is 25 percent difference between the results of the manual and electronic count, then all Iraqi provinces are to undergo a full manual recount.

The parliament ruled that political parties will be provided with electronic copies of voting sheets. 

It said manual recounts will take place at polling stations where electronic hard disks were allegedly swapped, stations in Kirkuk, and stations where results have been annulled in the disputed territories.

A source from Iraq’s electoral commission told Rudaw the commission has independent authority and that neither the government nor the parliament can intervene and annul its decisions. 

“The parliament’s decisions and the government concerning the commission is interference,” the source added.
Just 165 of the parliament’s 329 MPs were in attendance. 

Last updated at 11.35 P.M.