Iraq’s general elections pushed to October
The added time shores up Baghdad’s preparations for a more legitimate election process; but time is running out for protesters who fear the government will ignore their demands.
Early elections are arriving late to Baghdad, as Iraq’s Cabinet voted on Tuesday to postpone the general election from June 6 to Oct. 10.
The decision was issued after a proposal submitted by Iraq’s Electoral Commission to the Council of Ministers earlier this week to resolve “technical” needs to ensure a transparent electoral process, according to the office of Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi. Without providing details on what those issues are, the statement read that resolving the issues “would ensure the integrity of the elections and equal opportunities for everyone to run in the elections freely and fairly.”
But time is running out for activists who are growing disillusioned about Iraq’s electoral process and frustrated that the government’s stalling is an attempt to ignore their demands.
Last July, Kadhimi set the ambitious goal of June 6, 2021, as the date for the general election, almost a year ahead of schedule.
