KDP's Hemin Hawrami thanks security forces, urges voter participation in parliamentary election
A total of 215,960 eligible voters participated in the special elections, with votes cast at 165 polling stations across the Kurdistan Region, Hawrami reported.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Hemin Hawrami, Head of the Organizational Bureau of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), expressed his gratitude to the Peshmerga and security forces for their confidence in the KDP during a press conference on Saturday, following the special voting for the Kurdistan Region's parliamentary election. The special voting process involved members of the security forces, the Peshmerga, and others who cast their ballots ahead of the general vote.
A total of 215,960 eligible voters participated in the special elections, with votes cast at 165 polling stations across the Kurdistan Region, Hawrami reported. The KDP had 165 observers, and 749 agents deployed across all polling stations to monitor the process, ensuring transparency by transferring voting rights to the Election Bureau.
Of the 215,960 eligible voters, 179,326 valid votes were counted, while 21,131 votes were deemed invalid. The KDP secured 86,775 votes, a significant increase from the 24,000 votes they received in the special voting during the 2018 parliamentary elections, particularly among the Peshmerga and security forces. In comparison, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) received 50,776 votes in the special vote, trailing the KDP by 36,000 votes.
Other political parties’ results in the special voting include:
- New Generation Movement: 11,778 votes
- Kurdistan Islamic Union: 3,180 votes
- People's Front (Berey Gel): 2,510 votes
- Kurdistan Justice Group: 2,365 votes
- National Stance Movement (Halwest): 2,448 votes
- Gorran Movement: 585 votes
Hawrami called on the citizens of the Kurdistan Region to actively participate in the general election and cast their votes for the KDP, emphasizing the importance of protecting the region’s peace and prosperity.
Addressing concerns about electoral violations, Hawrami stated that the KDP would pursue legal action against any infractions. He underlined the transparency of the election process, noting that representatives from all political parties were present at polling stations. However, he criticized the electoral commission for its inability to prevent violations at some polling stations in Halabja, urging the commission to take stricter measures to ensure the integrity of the voting process.
He also emphasized the KDP's commitment to having representatives present at all polling stations, with a digital system in place to transmit voting data to the election bureau. Furthermore, Hawrami advocated for manual vote counting to be conducted alongside electronic counting to ensure accurate results.
As the general election approaches, Hawrami’s message focused on maintaining a secure, fair, and transparent electoral process while encouraging strong voter turnout to safeguard the future of Kurdistan.