The request was made in an official letter signed by the head of the presidency’s office and addressed to the Independent High Electoral Commission. The letter was dated July 10 and made public on the presidency's website on Wednesday.
Iraq’s electoral commission has been tasked with overseeing the Kurdistan Region’s election after a federal court ruled in May that the regional parliament’s decision half a year prior to extend its term and delay elections was unconstitutional. Because of that ruling, all decisions and laws issued by the Kurdish parliament after its legal deadline had passed were voided, including a controversial vote to reactivate the regional electoral body.
The delay in the parliament was caused by disagreement between political parties over the electoral law, seats reserved for minorities, and reactivation of the Kurdistan Region’s Independent High Electoral Commission.
In March, before the federal court ruling, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani set November 18, 2023 for parliamentary elections, a year after they were due to be held.
The Iraqi electoral commission is currently preparing for provincial elections to be held on December 18, and the head of the commission has said it would not be able to hold Kurdish parliamentary elections at the same time.
Iraq’s provincial councils were dissolved during anti-government protests in 2019. Created by the 2005 constitution following the fall of dictator Saddam Hussein’s regime, the provincial councils are powerful bodies that hold significant power, including setting the budgets for several sectors such as education, health, and transport.
