Votes cast in favor of the PUK, Kurdistan Coalition, and other parties in Erbil have been “tampered with,” PUK presidency member Majeed Hamadamin said in a press conference.
Iraqis headed to the polls early Sunday morning to vote in the early parliamentary elections, with an initial turnout of 41%. The PUK and Gorran (Change Movement) entered the election as the Kurdistan Coalition in hopes of expanding their presence in Baghdad. Combined they hold 23 seats in the current Iraqi parliament.
Hamadamin said there were changes to unofficial results reported in Erbil in the hours after polls closed, and alleged the voting machines were “tampered with.”
He also said that PUK representatives were prevented from observing security forces moving the ballot boxes in Erbil province.
“The PUK rejects the electoral process in Erbil, and will wait for the results of the complaints,” Hamadamin said.
The Independent High Electoral Commission reported 74 violations during the electoral process, six of which were in Erbil.
Iraqi forces arrested 77 people “for committing violations related to the conduct of the electoral process” in several governorates across Iraq, according to a tweet from the Security Media Cell on Sunday afternoon.
In the lead up to the election, voters and parties questioned the legitimacy of the vote that was held in an environment where powerful militias operate outside of government control, activists and election candidates are threatened and the electoral commission and political elites are accused of fraud.
The Iraqi government imposed strict security measures and enlisted a large international monitoring presence as part of its attempts to address multiple security concerns and allay fears of fraud, vote-buying, and voter intimidation. The process was monitored by 1,877 international and 160,148 local observers, commission spokesperson Jumana al-Ghalai told Rudaw.
There are over 3,200 candidates competing for 329 seats in the parliament. Nine seats are reserved for minorities and there are 67 candidates vying for these spots.
