Erbil, Kurdistan Region , Iraq (Krg.org) – Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani announced that the Kurdistan Region elections to Parliament and for the post of President will be held on 25 July 2009.

In a speech at the Parliament, President Barzani urged all the people of the Kurdistan Region to participate in the upcoming elections. “After the Independent High Electoral Commission of Iraq informed us that they would be able to supervise elections from the 20th of July 2009 onwards, we decided to set the 25th of July 2009 as the election day for the Iraqi Kurdistan Parliament,” announced the President.

The President added, “I welcome IHEC to invite neutral organisations to observe the elections. All political parties and actors should accept the results of our free and fair elections.”

President Barzani noted that all competing lists are free to engage in campaigning and publicity for their candidates but he cautioned against overly negative personal attacks and urged all sides to abide by the regulations set by the Electoral Commission.

President Barzani made this statement during a session of the Iraqi Kurdistan Parliament in Erbil last week. This will be the third such election for the Iraqi Kurdistan Parliament; the first was held following the Gulf War in 1992 and the last elections were held in 2005.

Several international governmental and non-governmental organisations will dispatch monitors to observe the election process.