SULAIMANI (ESTA) — The Kurdistan Region parliament on Sunday has passed a bill to extend the 5th parliamentary term and postponed the general elections.
The Region’s parliament has passed the bill by a majority vote, extending the 5th term of the legislature, and also postponing the general elections for one year, till December 2023.
The parliament justified why they passed such a controversial bill, explaining that to prevent legal, and constitutional gaps and preserve national unity with further preparation for the next general elections.
The extension of the 5th parliamentary term came as the Region was supposed to hold elections on October, 1 this year.
In February, the President of the Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani signed a decree setting the date for the region’s parliamentary election to October 1, 2022.
The Region held parliamentary elections in September 2018.
Parliamentary elections are held every four years in the Kurdistan Region. A minimum quota of 30% of seats in the 111-seat house is reserved for women and 11 seats for parties representing minorities.
