In a post on X  on June 27, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Alina Romanowski welcomed the announcement that the Kurdistan Region Parliament elections will be held on October 20, 2024, after years of delay.

We welcome announcement of October 20 elections & call on KRG to ensure they are free, fair, and transparent. Congrats to @IKRPresident for his efforts. Elections have been repeatedly delayed, and for the sake of a democratic IKR, there should be no further delays.

— Ambassador Alina L. Romanowski (@USAmbIraq) June 27, 2024

“We welcome [the] announcement of [the] October 20 elections and call on [the Kurdistan Regional Government] to ensure they are free, fair, and transparent,” she said, congratulating Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani for his efforts.

“Elections have been repeatedly delayed, and for the sake of a democratic [Kurdistan Region], there should be no further delays,” she said.

In a press briefing on June 26, U.S. Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller also welcomed the announcement of parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan Region. 

?? welcomes the announcement of 20 Oct 2024 as new election date and calls upon all stakeholders to ensure inclusive, free and fair elections of the #KRI parliament.

— German Consulate Erbil (@GermanyInKRI) June 27, 2024

“Elections are a vital element of the democratic process, and we expect the authorities to ensure that they are free, transparent, and occur without further delay. And we appreciate [President Barzani’s] efforts to reach an agreement between all parties,” he said.

On June 26, President Barzani announced that the upcoming general election for the sixth term of the Kurdistan Region Parliament will take place on October 20, 2024.

The elections have been delayed several times since October 2022 due to disputes between the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the rival Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, as well as due to controversial rulings by the Federal Supreme Court of Iraq.

The announcement of the new election date was welcomed by several countries and international institutions, including Canada, the UK, Germany, the United States, Japan, France, the EU, the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq, and others.

I welcome @IKRPresident's announcement of elections on 20 October and encourage all parties to ensure these elections are free, fair & held without further delay. A transparent and inclusive electoral process is essential for the continued development and stability of the region.

— Stephen Hitchen FCDO (@SCHitchenFCDO) June 27, 2024

In a post on X on June 27, Germany’s Consulate General in Erbil welcomed the announcement and called “upon all stakeholders to ensure inclusive, free and fair elections of the [Kurdistan Region] Parliament.”

The UK’s Ambassador to Iraq Stephen Charles Hitchen on X underlined the need to ensure that “these elections are free, fair and held without further delay.”

“A transparent and inclusive electoral process is essential for the continued development and stability of the region.”