Head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) Jeanine Antoinette Hennis-Plasschaert on May 16 briefed the UN Security Council for the last time and expressed her hope that the parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan Region will take place as soon as possible. 

Read More: UNAMI Head to Give Last UN Security Council Briefing

“On March 18, one of the ruling parties announced its decision not to participate in these elections. I won’t go into the weeds of what happened next, but [what is] worth mentioning today is that inclusive, transparent, and credible regional elections capable of producing political finality and certainty are desperately needed,” she said in her briefing.

The elections have been delayed several times since October 2022 due to disputes between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the rival Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.

“It is hoped that the vote will take place with as minimal a delay as possible, in any case not later than four months from now, and with a minority quota,” she added.

In a statement released on March 18, the KDP announced that they would boycott the Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary elections initially scheduled for June 10 after the Federal Supreme Court of Iraq eliminated 11 quota seats for minorities within the region.

The Federal Supreme Court on May 7 issued an administrative order suspending the procedures for holding parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan Region until it can decide on a lawsuit filed by Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani against the Independent High Electoral Commission.

“The stakes are high … within the context of the legitimacy of Kurdistan Region institutions. In fact, if the current impasse was to drag on, the very future of the Region would hang in the balance,” UNAMI Head Hennis-Plasschaert warned.

“Having said this, after intensive engagement in past weeks, which has been guided by the need for a swift and decisive way out of the deadlock, we are now hopeful that a final, and thus binding, election date will be announced soon,” she concluded.