KDP Launches Massive Duhok Election Campaign with KDP VP Masrour Barzani
With KDP VP Masrour Barzani present, the KDP launched its election campaign in Duhok, completing a three-day, region-wide show of force and unity.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - In a major launch of its formidable electoral machine, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) on Monday kicked off its official election campaign in the governorate of Duhok, a grand event held in the presence of the party's Vice President, Masrour Barzani.
This massive gathering in Duhok, a traditional and vital stronghold for the party, completes a powerful trifecta of high-profile campaign launches that have unfolded across the Kurdistan Region and its Kurdistani territories over the past three days, a strategically orchestrated sequence designed to project an image of overwhelming strength, unwavering unity, and a deep, pan-Kurdish appeal.
From a vibrant public carnival in the contested city of Kirkuk to a leadership-driven inauguration in the capital, Erbil, and now a major rally in Duhok, the KDP has used the opening weekend of the campaign to make a clear and unambiguous statement: it is entering this "fateful" election with the full force of its organizational might and the unwavering backing of its most senior leaders.
The campaign launch in Duhok on Monday, October 13, 2025, follows a meticulously planned and geographically significant series of events. The weekend's activities began on Saturday, October 11, in the heart of the Kurdistani territories, with a massive public carnival in Kirkuk.
That event, which saw the participation of thousands of the party's enthusiastic supporters and all twenty-four of its candidates for the province, was a powerful demonstration of the KDP's grassroots strength and its commitment to the multi-ethnic and multi-religious fabric of the city.
As Hiwa Ahmed Mustafa, the head of the KDP's Kirkuk-Garmiyan organization office, stated at the carnival, the gathering was a display of the party's "civil and unarmed force" and a "force of support for unity, brotherhood, and coexistence of Kurds, Arabs, Turkmens, and Christians."
The following day, on Sunday, October 12, the focus shifted to the political heart of the Kurdistan Region, with a grand and formal campaign launch in the capital city of Erbil. That event, held in the expansive Saad Abdullah Hall, was a powerful display of the party's institutional and leadership strength. It was held in the presence of the party's revered leader, President Masoud Barzani, and his two vice presidents, Nechirvan Barzani and Masrour Barzani. The gathering of the party's entire political bureau, its leadership council, and all of its candidates from across the region served as a powerful symbol of a unified and determined political front.
In his speech at the Erbil ceremony, President Barzani delivered a message that powerfully underscored the KDP's inclusive and pan-Iraqi vision. He expressed his "deep happiness with the presence of a number of Arab and Turkmen brothers and sisters within the list of the Kurdistan Democratic Party," which is running nationwide under the number 275. This diversity within the party's own candidate list, he argued, "enhances the principles and strength of the party and reflects its correct approach."
The culmination of this strategic, three-day rollout was the campaign launch in Duhok on Monday, presided over by KDP VP Masrour Barzani. By having each of its most senior leaders—President Barzani in the capital, and Vice President Barzani in a key provincial stronghold—personally inaugurate the campaign, the KDP has sent a clear message about the profound importance it is placing on this election.
The sequence of events, moving from the contested territories to the capital and then to another major governorate, was a carefully choreographed display of the party's reach, its organizational capacity, and its deep roots in all corners of the Kurdish nation.
The KDP has entered this electoral contest with a clear and ambitious goal: to emerge as the "first party in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region." This is not merely a matter of political pride; the party has explicitly stated that achieving this status "will enable it to defend the constitutional rights of the people of Kurdistan more forcefully" in the federal parliament in Baghdad. With the election for the sixth term of the Iraqi Council of Representatives scheduled for November 11, 2025, the KDP is framing the contest as a critical battle for the future of the Kurdistan Region's relationship with the federal state.
The national electoral landscape is vast and highly competitive. The official campaign period, which began on October 3, will continue until November 8. According to the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), a staggering 7,768 candidates have been approved to run for the 329 seats in the Council of Representatives. The total number of eligible voters across all of Iraq is 21,404,291, with 20,063,773 registered for the general vote and 1,313,980 allocated for the special vote, which typically includes members of the security and military forces.
Within the Kurdistan Region itself, the electoral stakes are immense. Sulaimani governorate has the largest electorate with 1,201,846 eligible voters, followed by Erbil with 1,087,880, and Duhok with 778,846. The KDP, through its powerful and coordinated campaign launches, is clearly aiming to maximize its vote share in all of these key constituencies, building on its traditional strongholds and making a powerful case to voters in every city, town, and village.
The three-day series of events in Kirkuk, Erbil, and Duhok was more than just a series of campaign rallies; it was a comprehensive and strategic statement of intent. It showcased the party's multifaceted identity: a grassroots movement capable of mobilizing thousands in the streets of a contested city, a powerful and unified political institution led by its most historic and respected figures, and a modern, forward-looking party with a clear and ambitious vision for the future. As the campaign now moves into its next phase, the KDP has left no doubt that it is entering this "fateful" election with a level of organization, unity, and determination that will make it a formidable force on the national stage.
