“The commission has committed itself to announce the results of the elections within 24 hours,” the head of the electoral commission Jalil Adnan Khalaf said at a press conference. “Yesterday's simulations were to ensure that.”
The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) on Wednesday carried out the third and last simulation of the electoral process ahead of the elections.
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi attended a meeting with the IHEC and was briefed on the simulation process.
“All logistic preparations have been done correctly,” Khalaf said, adding “the aim of conducting the simulation is to make the elections a success with credibility.”
President Barham Salih in June suggested election results would be announced within 24 hours, aided by the electronic voting system. However, this system caused problems in 2018.
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Iraqis will go to the polls on October 10, a year ahead of schedule. The election was called to meet a demand of protesters who brought down the government of former Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi.
There are a total of 3,249 candidates, including 951 women, competing for 329 seats in the parliament. Nine seats are reserved by minorities and there are 67 candidates vying for these spots. At least 25 million Iraqis are eligible to vote, but polls predict a record low turnout.
The UNAMI chief earlier this month said that a group of 130 international experts and around 600 supporting staff will be monitoring the elections for the United Nations. The IHEC on September 14 formed four committees, each including a consultant from UNAMI, tasked with reviewing complaints filed during the campaign in their assigned provinces.
A second observing team of 80 people from the European Union is also observing preparations ahead of the vote and election day.
