Iraq: Parliament Must Decide on Holding Early Elections

Arab World

March 6th, 8:00am

Baghdad - Hamza Mustafa

An Iraqi woman shows her ink-stained index finger before a national flag after having cast her vote in the country’s parliamentary election, in the capital Baghdad's Karrada district. AFP file photo

Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission announced on Thursday that holding early elections hinges on Parliament’s measures in drafting the electoral law. However, former head of IHEC's administration, Miqdad al-Sharifi, ruled out out the possibility of holding snap polls in Iraq even if a new legislative law was approved soon. “It is clear that the IHEC has decided to throw the ball in the court of Parliament, which would find difficulties in agreeing on the type and size of electoral districts,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat. Sharifi explained that elections can only be held after setting the number of districts and approving the electoral law and the budget. Such measures require at least 18 months to be completed, he said. In its statement Thursday, the commission said that its board is aware of the size of the tasks entrusted to it, and the importance of expediting early elections. It explained that a fair electoral process in line with legal and international standards requires from the parliament to swiftly complete procedures for adopting the election law in addition to determining the districts and the number of electoral seats for each one of them. “At this phase, the commission can propose the soonest possible date for holding the elections according to what is stated in the election law,” it noted. The statement said that as a first step, the Board of Commissioners set out to put in place the policies, regulations and mechanisms that regulate IHEC’s work.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2165726/iraq-parliament-must-decide-holding-early-elections