Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Tuesday congratulated the people of Iraq as a whole and the people of the Kurdistan Region in particular for participating in today’s vote in the general Iraq elections.

“I also thank the Independent High Election Commission and the security forces. I would like to thank all international and local observers for their cooperation and observation of the process,” Prime Minister Barzani said in a statement.

“I sincerely hope that the voters’ ballots will be respected. The representatives who win the trust of the voters must be true representatives of the people and defend the constitutional rights of the Kurdistani public, the federal status of the Kurdistan Region, and the interests of all Iraqi citizens.

“I hope that this heralds a new era in a federal and democratic Iraq that will begin to achieve all the legitimate rights of our people, and that the election results will improve the lives of Iraqi citizens and strengthen the position of the Kurdistan Region.”

Iraq’s parliamentary elections were held today to elect 329 members of the Iraqi parliament, who will elect the country’s president and approve the appointment of the future Iraqi Prime Minister.

The general vote started this morning at 7:00 am and closed at 6:00 pm.