The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) of Iraq has announced that long-awaited parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan Region are finally scheduled to take place between May 19 and May 30. This decision follows a series of postponements, initially stemming from disagreements among political factions regarding election laws.

Originally slated for October 2022, the elections faced successive delays, with the date pushed to November of the following year. However, a legal ruling against the self-extension of the Kurdistan parliament led to yet another postponement, with the new date set for February 2024 under the supervision of the Iraqi Electoral Commission.

The IHEC clarified that the responsibility for appointing the new election date falls upon the leadership of the Kurdistan Region, as the previously scheduled timeline could not be met.

With over two million eligible voters in the Kurdistan Region, anticipation for the upcoming elections runs high. Despite facing criticism both domestically and internationally for the delays, the Iraqi government has allocated nearly 70 billion dinars to the IHEC to ensure the smooth oversight of the Kurdistan Region's polls, effectively removing another hurdle in the contentious journey toward the vote.

This announcement signals a crucial step forward in Iraq's democratic process, as citizens in the Kurdistan Region prepare to exercise their right to vote in the parliamentary elections after a prolonged period of uncertainty and delays.