None of the Federal Court Rulings have been in benefit of KRG: Head of Turkmen Development Party

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Many of the youth of the Kurdistan Region (KRG), who are about to be eligible voters, are preparing themselves fervently to participate in the upcoming parliamentary election and are queuing up to receive their voting cards. And, what concerns them is the postponements over the Election Law by the Federal Supreme Court.

The citizens of the Kurdistan Region are eager to receive their voting cards. There are some of the electorates who are about to vote for the very first time, and there are those who have been participating in the past elections.

Kani Tahsin, a KRG citizen, told Kurdistan 24 that she just turned 18 years old and she intends to vote for the first time. She hoped the election will be held at the earliest possible time.

In contrast to the vehement desires of the KRG public to vote in the upcoming election, there is an institution that seems to be sluggish and unhurried in responding to this process, and that institution is the Federal Supreme Court of Iraq. It has been more than eight months that the election dossier has been sent to the Federal Court and we are yet to receive any news or hear any decision from this federal institution. This comes at a time when the Federal Court was prompt in making a decision in opposition to the extension of the KRG parliament legislative term.

Muhammad Elkhani, the head of Turkmen Development Party, expressed his worries that his party might lose its seat at the parliament or that their representation dispersed. He gave his thoughts over the reasons behind the stance of the Federal Court and said: “the Federal Court was quick to make a decision over the extension of legislative term of KRG Parliament; however, with regard to the issue of holding the election it seems less eager to act or decide in the same manner. Justifications have been aplenty for the postponement.”

“the Federal Court never intends to make a decision that might benefit the citizens of the KRG,” Elkhani added

The repeated postponements of the election have been caused by the complaint that was launched by Kurdistan’s Union Party (PUK) against the Election Law. The most important articles of this law that are complained about revolve around the issues of scope of constituency as well as the quotas that have been dedicated to the ethnic or religious minorities, chief among them the Turkmen’s. It appears that the Federal Court will have yet another meeting on this matter tomorrow.