IHEC to Announce Iraqi Provincial Council Elections' Preliminary Results

PUKMEDIA

Voting.

The Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) is scheduled to announce the preliminary results of the provincial council elections at 5:00 pm (local time) today, December 19, 2023.

Based on the initial results and unofficial reports, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) has gained significant victory in the provincial council elections in Iraq, particularly in the disputed regions where the party is at the forefront. 

The PUK had 112 candidates running in the Iraqi provincial council elections. The party has joined forces with the Kurdistan Communist Party in Kirkuk to form the "Kirkuk is Our Strength and Will Coalition." The PUK formed a coalition with the National Rafa'a Party in Nineveh, dubbed the "Nineveh People Coalition." In addition, the PUK maintains an independent electoral list in the Diyala province. The PUK formed the "National People's List" coalition in Saladin, alongside an independent list in Baghdad that included a Faily Kurd candidate, intending to secure the quota seats.

According to the IHEC, the voter participation rate stood at 41 percent, with Kirkuk registering the highest turnout and the lowest recorded in Baghdad's Rasafa area.

The voter turnout in Kirkuk province reached 65%, with over 800,000 individuals eligible to cast their votes. Based on data acquired by PUKMEDIA from observers and officials of the PUK at numerous polling stations, the Kirkuk is Our Strength & Will Coalition is currently in the lead of the other lists.

Latif Nerwayi, a member of the Leadership Council of the PUK, told PUKMEDIA that the Kirkuk is Our Strength & Will Coalition won 65% of the votes for the Kirkuk provincial council.

After nearly 18 years, the provincial council elections were held in Kirkuk province on December 18, 2023, along with 14 other Iraqi provinces. Voters went to the polls and the Kurds as the main community in the Kirkuk city, had an active participation.

For his part, Iraqi President Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid congratulated the Iraqis on the victory of the provincial council elections, saying: "The provincial council elections are not only a constitutional right but also a crucial administrative requirement for delivering services to the public."

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani thanked political forces for insisting on competing within the legal limits. 

"The elections in Kirkuk, which had not taken place since 2005, were a clear and notable example of success," he stated.

The primary challenge encountered during the elections in Kirkuk and the disputed regions, particularly in Kirkuk, was the technical malfunction of the voting machines. This resulted in numerous voters being unable to successfully submit their votes due to the machines' failure to read their fingerprints. Hence, the leader of the Kirkuk is Our Strength & Will Coalition and the leader of the list highlighted this issue and impediment during a news conference.

The election security committee has reported that 300 individuals have been apprehended for engaging in election infractions, including attempted fraud and the illegal purchase of voting cards.

According to the IHEC, the turnout in the general election was as follows:

Basra 42%
Maysan 27%
Qadsia 37%
Zi Qar 30%
Najaf 31%
Mesna 44%
Rasafa Sector - Baghdad 19%
Karkh Sector Baghdad 29%
Karbala 39%
Babylon 39%
Diyala 40%
Anbar 56%
Wast 36%
Salahaddin 57%
Kirkuk 65%
Nineveh 52%



PUKMEDIA