‘Yes’ vote wins N. Iraq referendum: Kurdish Region Govt

By Idris Okuducu

ERBIL, Iraq (AA) - Almost 93 percent of those who voted in Monday’s illegitimate referendum in northern Iraq voted in favor of regional independence, according to preliminary results released Wednesday.

Initial results were announced by Hindirin Mohamed, head of the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG)’s official electoral commission, at a press conference convened in Erbil, the KRG’s administrative capital.

Mohamed put total voter turnout at 72 percent of the region’s registered voters, 92.73 percent of whom, he said, had voted in favor of independence while 7.27 percent had voted against.

Monday’s controversial referendum had faced wide-spread opposition from most regional and international actors, many of whom had warned the poll would further destabilize the region and distract from the ongoing fight against Daesh.​

Baghdad, meanwhile, has consistently said that Monday's referendum constituted a violation of Iraq's constitution.