UN Mission meets Kirkuk officials and communities ahead of November elections
The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) held a series of meetings with electoral officials and local communities in preparation for Iraq's parliamentary elections scheduled for 11 November 2025.
Over two days, a UNAMI delegation led by Principal Electoral Adviser Dr. Aamir Arain met with staff at the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) office in Kirkuk and held separate discussions with representatives of the province's Arab, Turkmen, and Kurdish components.
Kirkuk has an estimated 1.1 million eligible voters.
At the IHEC office, the UN team reviewed the progress of technical preparations and raised key concerns shared by electoral stakeholders. The meetings focused on practical steps to ensure transparency, inclusive participation, and public confidence in the electoral process.
UNAMI also met with political and community leaders from across Kirkuk's diverse constituencies. Talks centered on mechanisms for supporting a peaceful and credible vote in a province that has long experienced political tensions. Participants agreed to maintain open communication as Iraq moves closer to election day.
Notably, the United Nations played an advisory and observatory role during Iraq's October 2021 parliamentary elections. However, it did not participate in the provincial council elections held in December 2023.
UN involvement in 2021 was welcomed by many Iraqi civil society organizations as a vital safeguard for transparency and fairness. At the same time, some political actors criticized the mission's role as overstepping Iraq's internal sovereignty.
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