Commission: Official referendum campaigning begins on Sep 5
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — The Kurdistan Region’s Independent High Electoral and Referendum Commission (IHREC) has set the timeline for the upcoming independence referendum campaigning.
The Commission released a statement on Sunday outlining that campaigning will start this Tuesday and will continue for 18 days until September 22.
The IHREC is overseeing the referendum and elections.
The commission warned against campaigning prior to the date set for doing so, saying that violators will be subjected to legal proceedings in accordance with the rules and regulations of the commission.
Official campaigns for or against the referendum must register with the commission.
There have been large rallies in support of holding the referendum in Europe, including an August 26 rally in Cologne, Germany, that attracted an estimated 20,000 attendees including Kurds in diaspora and others.
Voters in Kurdistan and abroad will be asked the same ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ question: “Do you want the Kurdistan Region and the Kurdistani areas outside the administration of the Region to become an independent state?”
Traditional voting will take place in the Kurdistan Region and in the disputed or Kurdistani areas claimed by both Erbil and Baghdad on September 25.
The Commission released a statement on Sunday outlining that campaigning will start this Tuesday and will continue for 18 days until September 22.
The IHREC is overseeing the referendum and elections.
The commission warned against campaigning prior to the date set for doing so, saying that violators will be subjected to legal proceedings in accordance with the rules and regulations of the commission.
Official campaigns for or against the referendum must register with the commission.
Already across Kurdistan people have expressed support for and against the September 25 referendum.
Some yes-vote supporters have decorated their cars and banners with 25/9 slogans and checkmarks in favor of independence for the Kurdistan Region, while no-vote supporters announced a ‘No for Now’ movement in early August in Sulaimani and also have banners opposing the referendum's timing.
There have been large rallies in support of holding the referendum in Europe, including an August 26 rally in Cologne, Germany, that attracted an estimated 20,000 attendees including Kurds in diaspora and others.
Voters in Kurdistan and abroad will be asked the same ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ question: “Do you want the Kurdistan Region and the Kurdistani areas outside the administration of the Region to become an independent state?”
The diaspora will vote on September 23 from 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. Erbil time, two days before people in Kurdistan. Registration for e-voters began on Friday and continues through Thursday (September 7). During this week, eligible voters abroad can visit www.khec17.net in English or Kurdish to fill in an online registration form.
Traditional voting will take place in the Kurdistan Region and in the disputed or Kurdistani areas claimed by both Erbil and Baghdad on September 25.