Five hours after polls opened for Iraq's provincial elections, just 27 percent of eligible people in Sulaimani province had voted, according to Iraq's independent election body.
Some polling stations in Sulaimani city were not crowded.
Barham Salih encouraged voters in the Kurdistan Region to participate in a statement released to Xendan, media close to the Coalition for Democracy and Justice (CDJ).
The statement described the turnout so far as "low."
Salih's statement said that voting is a peaceful and powerful way to change the political structure in Kurdistan Region. Additionally, the newly-formed CDJ, which is running in its first election in Baghdad, asked people to participate to decrease any chance for election fraud.
