ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s electoral commission is set to send the final results of the Kurdistan Region's parliamentary elections to the Region’s presidency on Sunday, pending the approval of President Nechirvan Barzani, an official from the commission told Rudaw.
"The results of the Kurdistan parliament elections have been approved," Nabard Omar, the head of Kurdistan Regions’ elections board at Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) told Rudaw on Sunday, adding that the results will be sent to the Kurdistan Region's presidency for the approval.
Omar told Rudaw earlier on Sunday that following the approval by President Barzani, he will request “the formation of the government as soon as possible.”
The results' approval will follow the first parliamentary session and swearing-in ceremony, with the Kurdistan Region President participating.
“Within 10 days of the final approval of the election results, the president of the Kurdistan Region will invite parliament to convene for its first meeting and oath-taking,” Waadi Mizuri, a legal advisor to the Kurdistan parliament, told Rudaw on Friday.
Alternatively, “the parliament may hold its first meeting on the 11th day after the approval of the results,” he added.
The results were expected to be approved on Tuesday, but they “were delayed due to the census process and the curfew,” Omar said.
The Kurdistan Region held its parliamentary elections on October 20 after two years of delays. The vote resulted in a consolidation of power for the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which won 39 seats, followed by its government ally but political rival the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) with 32 seats. The opposition New Generation Movement took third place with 15 seats.
Opposition parties Komal, the Kurdistan Islamic Union, Baray Gal, and Halwest have denounced the election results. They alleged fraud and voter manipulation and questioned the reliability of the voting machines.
Iraq's High Judicial Council’s electoral commission last week informed IHEC that it has finalized its scrutiny of the complaints filed about the election and rejected them all.
Solin Hamadamin contributed to this report
Updated at 3:29 pm
