President of southern Kurdistan, northern Iraq, Nechirvan Barzani, signed the executive order to hold parliamentary elections. “According to the Iraqi Kurdistan Region presidential Law No. 1 dated 2005, the sixth term elections of the Kurdistan Parliament will be held on October 1, 2022,” the executive order said.

The executive order stated that the relevant parties, the Kurdistan Parliament, the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Election Commission, should launch the required procedures for the elections.

The term of office of the Kurdistan Regional Government ends on June 11, 2022. If the parties agree on the terms, the Kurdistan Region Independent High Election and Referendum Commission is supposed to start preparations at least six months before the elections.

The election decision has been taken at a time when the political parties in the Kurdistan Region have not reached an agreement to change the election law. The ruling KDP wants the election to be held in a single round and the quota system to remain the same. However, other political parties demand amendments to the law.