Components should decide on their fate, says KDP President Barzani

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Kurdistan Region’s ethnic and religious components should be free to decide on their fate without any interference and be restricted to a "framework”, according to a statement.

Barzani’s statement, published by his office known as Barzani Headquarters on Sunday, comes amid legal challenges posed by a political party to the quota seats of religious and ethnic components at the Kurdistan Region’s 111-member parliament.

“The components should be allowed to decide on their fate, and no restricted framework should be imposed on them,” the press release said of “Barzani’s viewpoint” on the matter.

The Kurdish leader also urged all sides not to associate their rights and entitlements with any “political interests,” the statement added.

Per the current Kurdish election law, five seats of the 111-member chamber are allocated to Chaldean and Assyrians as well as another one for an Armenian member of parliament.

Representatives from various Kurdistan Region components on Saturday gathered in Erbil in a bid to unify their voices against the legal challenges posed by numerous forces to the quota seats.

The PUK has also objected to the single-member district electoral system, arguing the current form has given electoral advantage to its rival, KDP, which has refused the allegations and expressed willingness to work out new legislation, so the long-delayed election is no longer delayed.

Due to political infighting, the Kurdistan Region parties could not agree on amending the election law last year, triggering the extension of the current Kurdistan Parliament term by a year.

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani in early August set Feb. 25, 2024 as the new date for holding elections.