Kurdish parties in Kirkuk 'on the right track' to participate in Iraqi election: KDP candidate

A man votes in an election held in the Kurdistan Region’s province of Sulaimani. (Photo: Archive)
A man votes in an election held in the Kurdistan Region’s province of Sulaimani. (Photo: Archive)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A candidate in Iraq's upcoming national election who is running in the disputed province of Kirkuk said on Friday that Kurdish parties "are on the right track" to coordinate effectively with other parties and federal election officials to participate in the vote, scheduled for early October.

The statement comes amid concerted efforts by Kurdish parties to avoid partisan campaigning, with Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) candidate Shakhawan Abdullah stressing the need for firm cross-party relations to best serve Kurdish interests.

Ties between Kurdish parties have been especially productive in the areas disputed by Baghdad and Erbil, primary among them Kirkuk province, Sinjar district of Nineveh province, and contested districts in central Diyala province.

"There is now a sound understanding among the Kurdish political forces," Abdullah told Kurdistan 24, stressing the importance of leaving behind differences and avoiding political conflicts as the election date nears, slated for Oct. 10.

"There is better cooperation, ambition, and good coordination, especially in the Kurdish (populated) areas outside the Kurdistan Region," he added, referring to the disputed territories.

A cordial campaign by Kurdish parties, the KDP candidate believes, will be instrumental in securing more seats in these areas.

The head of the Central Institution of the Kurdistan Communist Party, Haja Suleiman, sounded similarly hopeful for the election, telling Kurdistan 24, "The cooperation of the Kurdish political parties in the Kurdish areas will lead to the Kurds getting very good votes."  

"I think the Kurds will win the elections," Suleiman said.

Despite multiple postponements of the vote and a number of parties in the Iraqi legislature having announced that they would boycott the election, including the movement of firebrand Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, the federal electoral commission has maintained that the vote will be held on the set date.

Iraq's last partial census was held in 1997 and did not include the Kurdistan Region. More recent counts generally estimate population based on statistics provided by the national food ration program and have often been incomplete in disputed territories, notably in Kirkuk.

A full accounting of regional populations is crucial for planning and budgeting in any nation. In Iraq, where mass displacement and campaigns of ethnic cleansing have been endemic to conflict for decades, such a survey takes on heavy political significance.

Lack of reliable statistics has fueled discord between rival populations claiming majorities in various regions of Iraq, adding to the difficulty of addressing fundamental disagreements.

Read More: Kurdistan PM: Demographic change must be considered in upcoming Iraqi census

Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution provides a legal mechanism for resolving the outcome of the disputed territories, partially based on updated census results. The provision was introduced to allow the 2005 ratification of the constitution by kicking controversial decisions on the disputed territories down the road.

Despite complaints by Kurdish parties, no recent census has been able to provide a clear count of the Kurdish population in areas like Kirkuk, and over a decade has passed since the 2007 deadline for the article's implementation. 

Editing by John J. Catherine