ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani late Tuesday hailed the unexpectedly high voter turnout in the Iraqi parliamentary elections, labeling it a significant milestone in preserving the democratic system and restoring citizens’ trust.

“The noble people of Iraq have taken yet another significant step toward protecting their constitutional and democratic system, with voter turnout in the parliamentary elections exceeding 55%,” Sudani said in a statement. 

The premier added that the achievement “represents a significant milestone on the path to restoring citizens’ trust,” labeling it an achievement that was “at the forefront” of the Sudani-led government’s priorities.

He noted that the government’s commitment towards “fulfilling the aspirations” of the Iraqi people “has borne fruit today, reflecting “the conscious and responsible participation of our beloved citizens.”

The 55 percent turnout rate, with 99.7 percent of all ballots opened, represented an increase compared to the country’s record low turnout of around 43 percent in the 2021 voting.

The turnout rate came as a surprise, especially with Iraq’s powerful Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr - the victor of the 2021 vote before his withdrawal - having issued a boycott call.

Iraq held general parliamentary elections on Tuesday, with polls closing at 6:00 pm. Preliminary results tallied by The New Region show Sudani’s Reconstruction and Development Alliance leading in the center and south.

In the Kurdistan Region, the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) scored a major milestone, surpassing one million votes and becoming the first Kurdish party in history to achieve that feat. 

Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) is expected to announce preliminary results for the vote later on Wednesday. It is currently in the process of manually and electronically tallying the votes cast in over 7,000 polling stations across the country.