Iraq postpones planned local council polls for one year

By Ali Jawad and Ibrahim Saleh

BAGHDAD (AA) - Iraq’s provincial council elections -- originally slated for next April -- have been postponed to April 2018 to coincide with planned parliamentary polls, according to Iraq’s official electoral commission.

In a statement, the commission said the decision had been taken by the presidency, the premiership and the leadership of Iraq’s parliament -- posts held by a Kurd, a Shia Muslim and a Sunni Muslim respectively.

Iraq’s provincial council elections are held to choose representatives of provincial administrations, such as provincial governors and members of provincial councils.

According to Safaa al-Musawi, a member of the electoral commission, the postponement of the polls will require new legislation or an amendment -- issued by parliament -- to Iraq’s current electoral law.

While the commission did not provide a reason for the move, some observers believe it may be related to ongoing military operations against the Daesh terrorist group in Iraq’s northern Nineveh province and the western province of Anbar.