ERBIL: Independent Kurdish politician Hoshyar Abdullah has urged a return to traditional voting methods, citing concerns over organized fraud in electronic voting systems. Abdullah's call follows allegations of vote tampering in recent local elections within the Kurdistan Region. According to National Iraqi News Agency, Abdullah criticized the adoption of electronic voting, asserting that it has led to widespread and effective electoral fraud since its introduction in 2018. He highlighted that countries like Britain, America, and Germany continue to rely on manual voting processes to safeguard the integrity of their elections. Abdullah emphasized the need for Iraq to follow suit, suggesting that the current electronic systems leave voter intentions vulnerable to manipulation by hackers. Abdullah's statement underscored his belief that influential parties, both within Baghdad and the Kurdish region, are using electronic voting as a tool to maintain political dominance. He appealed to those who respect Iraqi citizens' electoral rights to collaborate in reinstating manual voting and counting procedures, describing electronic voting as an "electronic scourge" that undermines democratic processes.