Head of Iraq’s electoral commission resigns: statement
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The head of Iraq’s electoral commission resigned from his position on Wednesday, the commission announced in a statement, weeks after a controversial amendment to the electoral law was passed in the parliament and months ahead of long-delayed provincial elections.
“Today, reality has forced us to talk about, with heavy heart, the news of the honorable Judge Jalil Adnan Khalaf, the head of the council of commissioners, submitting his resignation,” read the statement from Faisal Dahham, general secretary of the council of commissioners.
Khalaf resigned “due to the conditions that have come between him and completing his work at the commission,” the statement added. "We are all confident that he put the interests of Iraq first, the people second, and the institution third."
In March, the Iraqi parliament voted to amend the electoral law, restoring the Sainte-Laguë voting method, which reverts back to the single-constituency per province system. The change was met with protests and some lawmakers were forcibly removed from the legislature.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani addressed the recent changes. “There are important political powers in the parliament that believe there is a need to change the electoral commission following the change in the electoral law,” he said. “In my opinion, we should keep it.”
The parliament had adopted a new electoral law for the 2021 parliamentary elections, which divided the provinces of the country into multiple voting districts rather than one sole district. The change was to meet demands of the 2019 Tishreen protests.
Iraq last held provincial elections in 2013. In 2017, elections were postponed due to the war against the Islamic State (ISIS). In 2019, the provincial councils were dissolved, also in response to the Tishreen protesters who condemned endemic corruption.
“Today, reality has forced us to talk about, with heavy heart, the news of the honorable Judge Jalil Adnan Khalaf, the head of the council of commissioners, submitting his resignation,” read the statement from Faisal Dahham, general secretary of the council of commissioners.
Khalaf resigned “due to the conditions that have come between him and completing his work at the commission,” the statement added. "We are all confident that he put the interests of Iraq first, the people second, and the institution third."
In March, the Iraqi parliament voted to amend the electoral law, restoring the Sainte-Laguë voting method, which reverts back to the single-constituency per province system. The change was met with protests and some lawmakers were forcibly removed from the legislature.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani addressed the recent changes. “There are important political powers in the parliament that believe there is a need to change the electoral commission following the change in the electoral law,” he said. “In my opinion, we should keep it.”
The parliament had adopted a new electoral law for the 2021 parliamentary elections, which divided the provinces of the country into multiple voting districts rather than one sole district. The change was to meet demands of the 2019 Tishreen protests.
Iraq last held provincial elections in 2013. In 2017, elections were postponed due to the war against the Islamic State (ISIS). In 2019, the provincial councils were dissolved, also in response to the Tishreen protesters who condemned endemic corruption.