U.S. government opposes delaying Iraqi elections

BAGHDAD – 18 January 2018: The United States supports holding Iraqi parliamentary elections on May 12, as planned by Iraq's government, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad said on Thursday, criticizing calls to postponing the vote.

"Postponing the elections would set a dangerous precedent, undermining the constitution and damaging Iraq’s long-term democratic development," the embassy said in a statement.

The statement was published as Iraqi lawmakers were meeting in Baghdad to decide whether to hold the vote as planned or postpone it in order to allow hundreds of thousands of displaced people to return home to cast their ballot.