Glance at parliamentary election history in Kurdistan Region
A first democratic election to set the parliament in Kurdistan Region, for Kurdish people, was held more than 30 years ago.
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – According to Berey Kurdistani Article No. (1), the first democratic election in the Kurdistan Region was arranged 32 years ago, on May 19th, 1992.
A several coalition parties united together, and formed an entity called it Berey Kurdistani more than 30 years ago, that experience of election was supervised by several foreign organizations in the field of human rights and democracy, members of the European Parliament and foreign journalists’ representatives.
So far, there has been five rounds of elections in the Kurdistan Region, many changes took place, affected the electoral process, to promote the democratic process in the Kurdistan Region.
Acquiring the Kurdistan-Iraq National Assembly Article No. (1), accepting the regulation for the election on April 28th, 1992 by Berey Kurdistani was the base and foundation of the first democratic process in Kurdistan Region.
At the time, it had replaced the critical, legal and administrative gap that was left as a result of Baath regime withdrawal from the autonomous Kurdistan zone.
Berey Kurdistani's disagreement with that time’s Iraqi government regime, put Kurdistan Region on a decisive self-determinate fate line.
The first Kurdistan parliamentary election was held through direct and secret ballot, supervised by the western observers and friends of the Kurdish people.
The first round of the parliamentary general election, as the first experience of democratic process for Kurdish people after living an oppressed circumstances by the Baath Regime, in accordance with the Article no. (1), Berey Kurdistani held the vote on May 19th, 1992.
According to the sources at the time, 967.229 voters, cast their votes, and with a turnout of %87.4 of population took part in the voting process.
A second round of the Kurdistan Parliamentary election held on December 30th, 2005, in which 13 party lists participated in. 1.753.919 voters participated %75.6 of the voters participated.
It was then, for the first time the parliament seats increased from 105 to 111 by six seats in terms of proportional representation.
That election in Kurdistan Region coincided with the Iraqi council of representative election, it was the first general election held in Kurdistan and Iraq after toppling Saddam's regime.
The third round of the Parliamentary election was held on July 25th, 2009, in a peaceful atmosphere, with the presence of a number of the local, Arab, international observers.
There were 24 parties’ lists, in the election process, 1.266.397 voters participated, with a turnout of %69.60.
However, the 4th Round of the parliamentary election occurred on September 21st, 2013, with an election process was held called a One-time-casting-vote depending in the place you live in.
In that election process (31) parties’ lists participated, 1.956.331 people voted, according to parliamentary statistics 17 lists met the legal merits.
The latest parliamentary election which was the fifth round was held on September30th, 2018, in Kurdistan Region.
According to the sources, 29 parties’ lists participated, 1.845.979 voters went to the polling stations and cast their votes, with a turnout of %59 took part.