Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has affirmed that the government is fully prepared to hold early parliamentary elections as scheduled on October 10. He said all the security measures are in place as requested by the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC). Kadhimi oversaw Wednesday the launch of the last simulation process at the headquarters of the IHEC. According to a government statement, the simulation aims to ensure integral parliamentary elections that would reflect Iraqis’ aspirations for a better future. The Premier was given a detailed presentation and a comprehensive explanation of all the phases of the electoral process. Kadhimi stressed that there is no room for any mistake, noting that the success of the upcoming elections will send an important message to the citizens and politicians. In this context, Washington stressed its commitment to Iraq’s long-term stability, while Baghdad said it looks forward to building close ties with the US. This came during the meeting between US President Joe Biden and his Iraqi counterpart Barham Salih on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Both leaders discussed bolstering the bilateral ties and deepening cooperation on regional diplomatic initiatives, a White House readout of the meeting said. They also “reaffirmed their respect for Iraq’s democracy, rule of law, and efforts to hold credible and transparent elections this October.”