Kurdistan RegionG announces two-day holiday on elections

ARBIL / IraqiNews.com: The Kurdistan Regional Government on Wednesday announced a two-day holiday on the occasion of the provincial council elections on January 31 and on February 1. “The Kurdistan RegionG informs the government’s all employees that polling day (next Saturday) and Sunday (Jan. 31 and Feb. 1) will be an official holiday in the region,” said the Kurdistan RegionG in a statement received by IraqiNews.com news agency. “This came to facilitate the electoral process in the federal Iraq,” the statement added. The Iraqi army is supporting the national police force in providing security for Saturday’s elections in 14 of its 18 provinces — the first vote in the country since 2005. Some 15 million Iraqis are being called to the polls to elect officials for 440 seats, in what is seen as a crucial step in helping to secure Iraq’s stability. The forthcoming local elections will be held all provinces of Iraq except those of the three autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan region provinces of Arbil, Sulaimaniya and Duhuk. SH (P) 1