KDP: No legal, political, social, technical justification to postpone Kurdistan elections

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) has reiterated its position on holding parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan Region on the scheduled date.

Following a meeting on Thursday presided by the party’s leader, Masoud Barzani, the KDP Leadership Council reiterated its position on the parliamentary elections, rejecting its postponement.

The elections were initially planned for March 2017, but to maintain unity among the political parties and at the request of some parties, the KDP agreed to extend the parliament’s term until the KRG Prime Minister set a new date for the elections.

In May 2018, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani set Sep. 30 as the date for Kurdistan’s parliamentary polls.

There is no legal, political, social, or technical justification to postpone the elections, a KDP statement said, affirming that the party insists on holding the votes on the scheduled date.

As the parliamentary elections loom, Gorran Movement and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) appear to hint they would favor a postponement, according to a senior Gorran official. The KDP, meanwhile, called on political parties in the Kurdistan Region to make necessary preparations for the upcoming polls.

Regarding the Iraqi government formation, the KDP said it had prepared a joint project with the PUK to hold talks with the Iraqi political parties. It added that the doors are open for other political parties in Kurdistan to join them.

The statement added that the joint project was prepared through the principles of partnership, consensus, and balance.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany