Iraq election: Heightened security amid a tight race.
Sources affiliated with the Iraqi Ministry of Interior announced the completion of the preparation process for securing polling centers. Accordingly, Abbas al-Bahadli, spokesman for the Iraqi Ministry of Interior, announced the special election security plan and announced that the special elections for the security forces will be held on November 9 and the general elections on November 11.
He added: The Ministry of Interior has taken over the security file of 6 provinces in addition to the Samarra region and all city centers in other provinces. The special election security plan has been drawn up very precisely by the deputy commander of the Joint Operations Headquarters and the head of the Supreme Security Committee overseeing the security of the elections.
Al-Bahadli emphasized: There are no restrictions on movement or road closures, and traffic between the provinces will continue as normal.
On the other hand, Iraqi sources reported that the Iraqi province of Kirkuk is witnessing a fiercely competitive atmosphere on the eve of the elections. Turkmen, Kurdish, and Arab candidates have increased their advertising and are explaining their electoral plans regarding the future of Kirkuk to voters.
The atmosphere of competition between the various lists is very heated, and the posters and slogans of the candidates are showing.
Saddam al-Nuaimi, a candidate for the Azm coalition, told Anadolu Agency that the competition between the three main groups of Turkmen, Kurds, and Arabs is very intense. Ali Abbas, head of the Kirkuk High Election Commission, also said that the process of logistical and technical measures at the polling stations has been completed.
He added: 252 candidates from different groups in the province are competing for 13 parliamentary seats allocated to Kirkuk, one of which is for Christians. In total, 7,768 candidates, including 2,248 women and 5,520 men, are participating in the elections in Iraq, and about 21 million voters are eligible to participate in the November 11 elections to elect 329 members of the House of Representatives, who are responsible for electing the president and voting on the Iraqi government.
The Iraqi parliamentary elections will be held on November 11. The number of eligible voters is over 21 million, who will go to the polls to choose their representatives from more than 7,000 candidates from 31 electoral coalitions. Members of parliament are responsible for electing the country’s president and approving the appointment of the prime minister and cabinet ministers.
The Iraqi Independent High Election Commission previously announced that more than 1.25 million biometric voting cards will be distributed to voters. The Baghdad Operations Command also conducted the first simulation exercise to ensure the security of polling stations in line with the security preparations for the successful holding of the elections.