DUBAI, UAE - Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) confirmed Saturday that it is continuing preparations for the upcoming parliamentary elections set for November, despite the ongoing regional tensions.

Imad Jamil, a member of the IHEC’s media team, told The New Region that work is progressing on both technical and logistical levels and that preparations are not facing any delays. He added the commission is receiving strong support from the government.

“The elections will take place as scheduled,” he said. “We are working according to a set timeline, and everything is under control. There is no intention or suggestion of any postponement.”

Concerns have grown that regional tensions could impact Iraq’s stability and delay the elections. However, Jameel said the commision is not facing any obstacles that would require a delay.

Warnings over potential delay

Political and strategic affairs expert Jassim al-Gharabi warned that continued fighting between Iran and Israel could increase the risk of conflict spreading in the region, including Iraq. He said this could create conditions that would make holding elections difficult.

“The idea of delaying the elections has been raised by some groups,” Gharabi told The New Region. “But others strongly reject it. A delay could lead to more political conflict and even violence inside Iraq.”

Meanwhile, the IHEC said on Friday it completed the biometric voter registration update, with a total of 21,400,089 eligible voters updating their records.

The electoral body also said 433,655 people have applied to work in polling stations on election day. It requested approval from the Iraqi government to allow state employees who applied to take part in the election to be given three to 15 days of leave for training. The request was approved. Applications for the positions will remain open until July 9.