All parties agree on early elections: Iraqi MP

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — All political parties in the Iraqi parliament agree that early elections should be held this year, an MP told state media on Friday.

“This year is the year of elections, and all political forces agree on this,” Sabah Talubi, a member of the Sairoon Alliance -  the parliament’s biggest political bloc, led by Shiite cleric Muqtada Sadr -  told state media.

“The electoral commission is not facing any obstacles, and there are no disagreements between the commission and the political parties,” he added.

Protests erupted across central and southern Iraq in October 2019, with demonstrators taking to the streets to demand basic services and an end to corruption. Among the demands were calls for early elections.

Iraq's Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi announced in July that the country's next parliamentary elections would take place on June 6, 2021, a year earlier than scheduled.

The electoral commission said in August it would be ready to hold early elections in June provided the government and parliament meet certain demands, including passing a new electoral law and allocating a budget for the vote.

Iraqi President Barham Salih in November officially signed electoral reforms into law, dividing provinces into smaller voting constituencies for the 2021 election.

The Independent High Electoral Commission announced on Wednesday that election registration for the political parties and alliances for the early elections will take place until January 16. The deadline for parties to submit lists of candidates is January 28.