ARBIL: Parliament in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region decided on Tuesday to hold legislative elections in eight months after they were delayed amid tensions with the central government in Baghdad over disputed territories.

Regional legislative and presidential elections had both been due on Nov 1 but were postponed after Baghdad seized a swathe of territory from Kurdish forces following a controversial independence vote.

There was no immediate word on a new date for a presidential election.

“The Kurdistan parliament decided... to postpone the parliamentary elections in the autonomous region by eight months,” Islamic Union of Kurdistan parliamentarian Bahzad Zebari told AFP.

Farsat Sofi of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) of long-time Kurdish leader Massud Barzani said parliament would now choose a new date for legislative and presidential elections.

The elections were originally set for just over a month after a Sept 25 referendum in the Kurdish areas which resulted in a massive “yes” for independence.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2017