Iraq: Election results postponed in Kurdistan region /update 2

Event

The release of the results of the Kurdistan region's parliamentary elections have been postponed following a series of fraud allegations. The region's electoral commission announced on October 3 that results would not be released until all complaints had been reviewed. The Patriotic Union for Kurdistan (PUK), one of the two major Kurdish parties, has indicated it would reject the results due to fraud reports. The heightened political tensions may cause protests in the coming days.

Context

Parliamentary elections took place in Iraq's Kurdish region on Sunday, September 30. Preliminary results released on October 4 indicated the Kurdistan Democratic Party was in the lead.

Relations between Baghdad and the Kurdistan region have deteriorated over the past year since a referendum for Kurdish independence, which was declared illegal by Baghdad and led to economic and military retaliation.

Advice

Individuals in Iraq are advised to closely monitor the situation. The security environment in Iraq remains complex. Although travel is possible in some areas with proper security protocols in place, other areas should be considered strictly off-limits. Professional security advice and support should be sought prior to all travel.