The Iraqi Independent High Election Commission (IHEC) has announced that the candidate list for the upcoming sixth session of the Kurdistan Region parliamentary elections will be forwarded to the relevant ministries and agencies in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region for verification.

"The list will be sent to the relevant ministries and bodies of the Iraqi and Kurdistan Regional Governments to investigate their names," stated Jumana al-Ghalai, spokeswoman for the Iraqi Independent High Election Commission.

She elaborated that the names would be sent to the Interior Ministry and the Iraqi and Kurdistan Corruption Commissions, with a requirement that the vetting process be completed within 15 days.

Candidates must meet six criteria set by the Kurdistan Region and Iraq guidelines.

They must be citizens of the Kurdistan Region, at least 25 years old, literate, and free from any convictions for murder, morality, integrity, or theft. Additionally, candidates must not have been involved in any crimes associated with the former Ba'ath regime.

Statistics show that 1,198 candidates have registered for this session of the Kurdistan Parliament. The IHEC is gearing up for the elections, which are scheduled to take place on October 20 this year.