The Iraqi government has welcomed the Kurdistan Region Presidency's decision to set the date for the Kurdistan Region parliamentary elections in October, expressing its full readiness to support the requirements for a successful electoral process.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani reaffirmed his support for holding the Kurdistan Region parliamentary elections, welcoming the decision to set the election date in October, according to a statement by Iraqi government spokesperson Basim Al-Awadi on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

The spokesperson for the Kurdistan Region Presidency, Dilshad Shahab, announced that Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, after discussions with relevant parties and following procedures suitable for the electoral commission and other concerned entities, has set October 20 as the date for the Kurdistan Region parliamentary elections.

In its statement, the Iraqi government expressed its "full readiness to support the requirements for the success of this electoral process, and to do everything that enhances the participation of our Kurdish people and other fraternal components in the region, ensuring that the results of the electoral process truly reflect the will of our people in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, representing their free democratic choices, and continuing to promote stability, development, and realizing the aspirations of citizens in choosing their representatives in the legislative authority of the region."

The government also affirmed its "support for efforts to activate national dialogue among all national political forces in the region, and all currents seeking to work together under the umbrella of law, constitution, and the national identity of our united Iraq, through positive participation in democratic building, and enhancing civil and societal peace" in the Kurdistan Region.

The decision to set the parliamentary election date was also met with international welcome. The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) confirmed in a statement its readiness to work with relevant parties to "ensure inclusive, free, and fair elections, with full participation of women and all other components of the Kurdistan Region society."

European Union Ambassador Thomas Seiler also welcomed the setting of the election date, stating in a post on Platform X: "We have worked closely with the regional government, the federal government, all Kurdish political actors, and the United Nations to achieve this."