Iran has expressed its support of Iraq’s upcoming elections claiming that they will pave the way not only the rehabilitation of the country progression into the modernized international community. Bahram Qasimi, the Foreign Ministry of Iran’s spokesman, stated this week that the parliamentary electoral race was key to progressing democracy in Iraq. He said,

Due to Iraq’s important role in the region, there are various countries that can obstruct its development process, as we have seen during the previous years when ISIS supported by those countries dominated parts of it, but the terrorist group has been eliminated from the country through the sacrifices of the Iraqi people.”

A rather significant development as of late has a candidate who was running on behalf of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s Victory Coalition switching to the Kurdistan Diplomatic Party during the race. Candidate Sherko Abid Mohammed Ismael told press that,

I agreed to register my candidacy on Abadi’s list in order to serve my nation. How can I defend my nation when I see that the promises being made will not be fulfilled? That is why I thought it was essential to return to the party of my ancestors, the KDP … I believed I had to withdraw my candidacy from the Victory Alliance list. No one influenced me to make the decision I have.”