ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said on Tuesday that Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani is considering next steps regarding the fate of the Region’s parliamentary elections. "Our understanding is that President Barzani and various other authorities are actively considering next steps and we will let that process play out before commenting," Patel told Rudaw’s Diyar Kurda during a press briefing. Asked if the US supports a potential postponement of the elections, he replied that it is not for Washington to decide but they do support "free, fair and credible" elections. The Kurdistan Region is set to hold parliamentary elections on June 10, with a nearly two-year delay, after multiple postponements caused by disputes between political parties and pending legal cases related to the electoral process. Although the majority of the Kurdistan Region’s political parties, including KDP’s power-sharer in government, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), announced their participation in the vote, the KDP remains set in its choice to boycott the election, despite numerous calls to reverse this decision. The party claims a recent ruling by the federal court on the minority seats and the division of the Region into four constituencies is “unconstitutional.” President Barzani paid a three-day visit to Baghdad on Saturday, holding meetings with the federal authorities. Dilshad Shahab, Kurdistan Region Presidency spokesperson, said on Monday that the fate of the Region’s elections were among key topics discussed in Baghdad.
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