In line with the League of Arab States' commitment to supporting the democratic process and bolstering the foundations of good governance, and in response to an invitation extended by the Independent High Electoral Commission of the Republic of Iraq to His Excellency Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, to monitor the Kurdistan Parliament elections, the Secretary-General commissioned the formation of an expert mission to monitor the parliamentary elections in the region for the year 2024. The mission was led by Minister Plenipotentiary Malik Mosli, Director of the Department of the Arabian Gulf and Yemen, and comprised a team of experts from the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States.
During the mission, the expert delegation engaged in productive meetings with the Chairman and members of the Board of the Independent High Electoral Commission to gain insights into the Commission's efforts in preparing for the electoral process. Additionally, the mission met with the head of the Electoral Assistance Office and the Chief Electoral Advisor of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). The discussions highlighted the extensive efforts made by the United Nations Mission in Iraq to provide electoral assistance, supporting the Independent High Electoral Commission in overseeing the various electoral processes that have taken place over the past years in the Republic of Iraq.
On election day, the expert mission visited a number of polling stations in different areas of the Kurdistan Region. The mission reported the following findings:
The electoral process was, in total, well-organised, with polling stations and centres opening on the legally designated date and electoral materials being available at the polling stations visited by the mission. However, the mission noted certain technical issues with the electronic verification devices used to match voter fingerprints with those stored on biometric cards. In some instances, these technical failures led to an increased number of cases where the devices could not read fingerprints, surpassing the legally permitted percentage at several polling stations.
The mission observed a strong presence of candidate agents, as well as international and local observers, who were closely monitoring the voting process. Additionally, the presence of security forces outside the polling areas contributed positively to ensuring the safe conduct of the elections without disrupting the process.
Voter turnout remained high throughout the day, with participation across all age groups. Particularly noteworthy was the active involvement of elderly voters and women. The efforts made to organise voters outside polling stations, guide them, and assist those in need played a significant role in facilitating the smooth flow of the voting process.
Polling stations closed at the legally specified time of 6:00 p.m., and the counting and sorting procedures were largely completed with accuracy, reflecting the competence and experience of the polling staff. Despite some technical challenges encountered with the electronic counting and sorting devices, the process of manual counting and sorting was conducted to verify and match the results.
The League of Arab States Mission expresses its satisfaction with the overall preparation, organisation, and the peaceful atmosphere in which the electoral process was carried out. The mission extends its appreciation to the Independent High Electoral Commission and all other stakeholders for their support and cooperation, which contributed to the successful completion of its mission.
