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. 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 referen