Iraqi Kurdistan independence referendum, 2005

Iraqi Kurdistan independence referendum, 2005
Location	Northern Iraq
Date	30 January 2005
Results Votes Of total Yes 1,973,412 98.98% No 20,251 1.02% Valid votes 1,993,663 99.78% Invalid or blank votes 4,398 0.22% Total votes 1,998,061 100.00%
Results by Governorate   Yes   No

The Kurdistan Independence referendum of January 2005 that was conducted by the Kurdistan Referendum Movement alongside the Iraqi parliamentary elections and Iraqi Kurdistan elections of 2005, was an informal referendum asking the people of Iraqi Kurdistan whether they favor remaining a part of Iraq or in favor of an independent Kurdistan. The result was an overwhelming majority of 98.8% favoring an independent Kurdistan.^[1] On 22 December 2004, a non-partisan delegation headed by Mr. Ardishir Rashidi-Kalhur, President of the Kurdish American Education Society met with Ms. Carina Pirelli, Head of the U.N. Electoral Assistance Division and staff, at The United Nations Headquarters in New York, to handover 1,732,535 signatures, which were collected endorsing the call for an independence referendum on the future of Southern Kurdistan.

Results

Area:	Independence		Stay in Iraq			Total				Independence %		Stay in Iraq %
Kerkuk:	131,274		181			131,582				99.88		0.12
Nineveh:	165,780		111			165,891				99.93		0.07
Diyala:	35,786		627			36,413				98.28		1.72
Silemani:	650,000		0			656,496				99.12		0.88
Hewler:	622,409		11,289			636,898				98.23		1.77
Dahuk:	368,163		2,247			370,781				99.39		0.61
Total:	1,973,412		20,251			1,998,061				98.88%		1.12%

References

1. http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2005/02/09/17205061.php