Weekly roundup: UNAMI confers with KDP over KRG elections
UNAMI head meets with Kurdish leaders in Erbil over KRG elections
IHEC announces numbers of coalitions, parties, and candidates for KRG elections
President Rashid attends Easter Sunday Mass at Latin Church
PM Sudani invited to World Economic Forum in Riyadh
President Rashid reiterates call to elect new speaker
Iraq signs MoU with King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre & AD Ports Group
Basra truck accident kills six children
New overpass bridge opened in Baghdad
The head of UNAMI Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert was in Erbil this week to meet with Kurdish leaders to discuss the upcoming KRG parliamentary elections, which the KDP is boycotting. On April 2, Hennis-Plasschaert met with KRG PM Masrour Barzani and, the following day, met separately with KDP head Masoud Barzani and KRG President Nechirvan Barzani. The international community has stressed the importance of holding elections in the Kurdistan Region, which have been delayed twice in two years. The KDP leadership claims it supports free and fair elections, but that the integrity of these elections was challenged by the intervention of the Federal Supreme Court, which removed minority quota seats and divided the electoral districts across four regions. On April 4, Hennis-Plasschaert met with KRG deputy PM Qubad Talabani from the PUK, whose brother and party leader Bafel Talabani has been adamant on holding elections on June 10. Nechirvan Barzani is expected to travel to Baghdad on April 6 to solve this impasse.
Last week, IHEC extended the deadline to submit candidates for elections, but the KDP did not submit a list. On April 1, IHEC announced that two coalitions, 10 parties, and 54 individuals have submitted their candidacy. IHEC also stated that it will continue to prepare for elections and will draw election numbers for parties and candidates on April 7.