45,000 Kurds living between Nineveh, Duhok may not be able to vote: KDP official
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Around 45,000 Kurds who have moved or been displaced between Nineveh's disputed territories and Duhok may be deprived of their right to vote in Iraq’s upcoming parliamentary elections, according to a Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) official.
Manaf Hasanm, head of KDP’s office in Mosul, told Rudaw on Tuesday that thousands of Kurds have been disenfranchised after the Iraqi government registered their two government documents required to vote in separate provinces. With voting IDs registered in Duhok and food ration forms in Nineveh province, tens of thousands will be unable to vote in elections scheduled to take place in June, he claims.
“This is the second time this has been done to us,” said Khairi Khelef, who resides in Duhok’s Khanke town, but originally hails from the disputed town of Faidah in Nineveh province.
“They tell us you are part of the Kurdistan Region, but our food ration form is in Mosul,” he told Rudaw’s Ayub Nasri on Tuesday.
The registration issue may affect Kurdish power in Nineveh province.
“These people are all Kurds and are from the province. If they do not vote, it will really hurt not only the KDP, but all Kurdish parties,” Hasanm argued.
Kurds won seven out of Nineveh’s 31 general seats in Iraqi parliament in the country’s last elections.
“We have sent requests to the electoral commission in Baghdad to look into the cases of these voters, so that they will be able to vote,” Khalid Abbas, head of Duhok’s electoral commission said.
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, in response to requests from demonstrators.
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 January 6 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.
Manaf Hasanm, head of KDP’s office in Mosul, told Rudaw on Tuesday that thousands of Kurds have been disenfranchised after the Iraqi government registered their two government documents required to vote in separate provinces. With voting IDs registered in Duhok and food ration forms in Nineveh province, tens of thousands will be unable to vote in elections scheduled to take place in June, he claims.
“This is the second time this has been done to us,” said Khairi Khelef, who resides in Duhok’s Khanke town, but originally hails from the disputed town of Faidah in Nineveh province.
“They tell us you are part of the Kurdistan Region, but our food ration form is in Mosul,” he told Rudaw’s Ayub Nasri on Tuesday.
The registration issue may affect Kurdish power in Nineveh province.
“These people are all Kurds and are from the province. If they do not vote, it will really hurt not only the KDP, but all Kurdish parties,” Hasanm argued.
Kurds won seven out of Nineveh’s 31 general seats in Iraqi parliament in the country’s last elections.
“We have sent requests to the electoral commission in Baghdad to look into the cases of these voters, so that they will be able to vote,” Khalid Abbas, head of Duhok’s electoral commission said.
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, in response to requests from demonstrators.
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 January 6 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.