Will Iraqi provincial councils be abolished?
Amid calls for abolishing provincial councils in Iraq, provincial elections have been delayed for the second time.
![MIDEAST-CRISIS/IRAQ-KURDS Members of the Kirkuk Provincial Council vote on the referendum in Kirkuk, Iraq August 29, 2017. REUTERS/Ako Rasheed - RC1A99A5D620](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/almpics/2018/11/RTX3DVW6.jpg/RTX3DVW6.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=v7IYuFKw)
BAGHDAD — The Iraqi parliament lifted the freeze on the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) Nov. 10, over two weeks after provincial elections were scheduled to be held. Now, the fate of the provincial councils is once again at the center of debate in Iraq.
Parliament formed a commission on May 12 to investigate suspicions of fraud in the general elections. The IHEC’s work was frozen and placed under the tutelage of the judiciary.