ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi authorities have identified a suspect in the assassination case of parliamentary candidate Safaa al-Mashhadani, with the suspect’s identity expected to be announced within two days, a member of Baghdad’s provincial council said on Monday.

“The killer of Safaa al-Mashhadani has been identified. Investigative procedures are underway. Relevant security bodies will announce the result of the investigation soon,” Amer Dawood, a member of the Baghdad Provincial Council, told Rudaw.

He added that revealing the suspect’s identity at this stage could interfere with the court’s work and “may be exploited for a particular agenda” given the “political and security dimension” of the case.

Deputy Commander of Baghdad’s Joint Operations Command, Qais al-Muhammadawi, told Rudaw on Sunday that security forces had uncovered “some evidence” in the assassination of Mashhadani, who was running on the Sunni Arab Sovereignty-Legislation Alliance ticket.

Mashhadani, a member of Baghdad’s provincial council, was killed at dawn on Wednesday in a car bomb attack in northern Baghdad’s Tarmiah district. Baghdad Operations Command (BOC) said a sticky explosive device had been planted under his Chevrolet Tahoe.

In the wake of the assassination, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani - who also serves as commander-in-chief of the armed forces - ordered the formation of “a joint forensic technical team and a high-level investigative committee” to determine the circumstances surrounding the killing.

Iraq is scheduled to hold its parliamentary elections on November 11.

According to data from the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), 31 alliances, 38 parties, 23 independent candidates, and 56 minority quota candidates are contesting the elections.

A total of 7,768 candidates - including 5,520 men and 2,248 women - will compete for 329 parliamentary seats, nine of which are reserved for minorities.

More than 39,000 polling stations will open across 8,703 centers for the general vote, with an additional 4,501 stations designated for special voting. Displaced persons will cast their ballots at 97 polling stations in and around camps in the Kurdistan Region.

Over 21 million Iraqis are eligible to vote following a recent nationwide update to biometric voter registration.