Iraq delays general election to Oct. 10 - state media

[January 19, 2021]    BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's cabinet decided on Tuesday to postpone the general election to Oct. 10 from June, the state news agency INA said.

Ballot boxes are seen after a fire at a storage site in Baghdad, housing the boxes from Iraq's May parliamentary election, Iraq June 10, 2018. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani/

The elections been brought forward to June 6, roughly a year early, following a proposal by Iraq's Independent High Election Commission (IHEC), which wanted more time to organise the polls.

Early elections were a key demand of anti-government protesters who staged mass demonstrations that started in October 2019. Hundreds were killed by security forces and gunmen suspected of links to militia groups.

(Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; Editing by Jon Boyle)

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