Iraqi-Kurdistan elections to take place in September

Iraqi-Kurdistan Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani has proposed holding elections in the region this September, following months of delays.

MENA

1 min read

The New Arab

08 May, 2018

Barzani has proposed elections to be held in September [AFP]

Regional elections in Iraqi-Kurdistan will be held in September, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani announced on Tuesday.

Voters will go to the polls to decide a new president and parliament in September, Rudaw reported, a news agency close to the KRG and based in Erbil.

The election announcement follows months of delays due to regional turmoil.

Elections were due to take place last November, following an independence referendum in September.

The result that backed independence led to a backlash from the Iraq goverment and neighbouring countries who enforced a blockade on the Kurdish region.

Pro-Iraq government forces also launched a military offensive to take back oil-rich contested areas, such as Kirkuk.

The collapse of the Kurdish Peshmerga forced President Masoud Barzani to resign.

Iraq is due to hold federal elections later this month, which included the Kurdish region.