In statements to Rudaw news website, Sólrún Gísladóttir announced that most of them will arrive in the Mesopotamian nation at the end of this month.

‘We will be here with the largest electoral team in the world’, as expressed by the representative of political affairs and electoral assistance at the UN mission in Iraq (Unami).

The team will be supported by a group from the European Union made up of 80 people.

Iraq called for a massive international presence to remove concerns about security, fraud, vote buying or voter intimidation.

‘I think these elections will give Iraqis the opportunity to have their voices heard and have an impact on what kind of Parliament and government they want for the country’, Sólrún Gísladóttir said.

At least 25 million people have the right to vote in this country, according to the Independent High Electoral Commission.

So far there are 3,249 candidates registered, including 951 women, who run for 329 seats, 9 of which are reserved for minorities and ethnic groups with 67 candidates for such positions.

pgh/lcr