Iraqi PM discusses preparations for provincial council elections
A man casts his vote in the 2018 Iraqi parliamentary elections in Baghdad’s Karrada district. Photo: AFP
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, and the President of the Supreme Judicial Council, Faiq Zedan, discussed on Tuesday the government’s efforts for the upcoming provincial council elections.
Al-Sudani and Zedan talked about the latest developments in the country and the government’s preparations to hold the provincial council elections on December 18.
The meeting also addressed strategies to enhance cooperation between the Iraqi judiciary and security agencies to guarantee the success of the elections.
The provincial elections will cover 15 out of the 18 governorates, as the remaining three governorates belong to the Kurdistan region of Iraq.
In June, the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) announced that it had decided to open the door for the registration of alliances and parties wishing to participate in the provincial council elections from July 1 until July 30.
The IHEC mentioned earlier that more than 16 million Iraqis have the right to vote and that more than 200,000 IHEC employees will supervise the voting.
There are 285 seats in provincial councils, with 10 seats designated for minorities.
The Iraqi constitution grants provincial councils a wide range of authority and states that no ministry or other non-ministerial organization may govern or oversee them.
The governorate’s executive officials, including governors, are chosen by elected provincial councils.