The United States calls on Kurdish political parties to abstain…

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The US ambassador to Iraq on Saturday called on political parties in the Kurdistan Region not to seek to intimidate voters in Sunday’s legislative elections.

“We support all efforts to ensure that tomorrow’s elections in the IKR (Iraqi Kurdistan Region) are free and fair. We call on all political parties and security forces to respect the vital role of the media and civil society in the democratic process and to refrain from violence or intimidation,” Alina L. Romanoswski said in a post on X.

Early voting for the long-awaited parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan Region took place on Friday, two days before the general vote.

Dozens of violations were recorded, according to Hogr Chato, head of the Shams election observation network.

Violations such as disclosure of voter choices, coercion, vote tampering, and attempts by polling center employees to influence votes could be punishable by penalties or even imprisonment.

Carrying their phones into polling booths is a violation of election commission regulations, but several observers said that at some polling centers voters were allowed to bring their phones.

“If today in the special vote you don’t stop certain types of violations, in the general vote it will get out of control,” Chato explained.

The election is observed by nearly 2,000 members of international missions and civil organizations.