Kurds Across the World Denounce Iraq’s Move to Bar Them From the Ballot

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – In a move that has sparked widespread concern and sharp criticism, the Independent High Electoral Commission of Iraq (IHEC) has effectively disenfranchised a significant and politically active segment of the Iraqi electorate by failing to establish ballot boxes abroad, a decision that diaspora Kurds are condemning as a politically motivated effort to suppress their vote and weaken their representation in the federal parliament.

For the second consecutive election cycle, hundreds of thousands of Iraqi citizens living overseas, a great number of them Kurds, are being deprived of their right to vote, a situation that a senior Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) official has blasted as a violation of Iraqi election law and a deliberate tactic to prevent a repeat of past elections where the Kurdish diaspora voted overwhelmingly for Kurdish parties.

This controversy over diaspora voting rights adds another layer of complexity and contention to an already fraught Iraqi parliamentary election, scheduled for November 11.

The election is taking place at what the Associated Press has described as one of the "most delicate moments in years" for the Middle East, with Iraq navigating a treacherous landscape of regional tensions, the powerful influence of Iran-backed militias, and deep internal political divisions.

The IHEC's decision on overseas voting is now being viewed by many diaspora Kurds not as a logistical failure, but as a calculated political maneuver within this high-stakes environment.

Sarhad Ghafuri, the head of the KDP's 6th branch in Europe, articulated the deep sense of frustration and suspicion felt by the Kurdish diaspora in an interview with Kurdistan24.

He confirmed that despite the fact that many Kurds living abroad have gone through the proper channels to prepare for the election, including renewing their biometric voting cards, they are now being blocked from participating.

"Despite the fact that diaspora Kurds have renewed their biometric voting cards and possess voter cards, the commission has deprived them of the right to vote," Ghafuri stated.

He was unequivocal in his assessment of the IHEC's motives, framing the decision as a direct and targeted assault on the Kurdish electorate, which has historically demonstrated a high degree of political engagement and a strong preference for parties advocating for Kurdish rights.

"This is the second election that ballot boxes are not being placed abroad, and this is against the election law which states every person has the right to vote and exercise that personal right," Ghafuri explained. "But the High Electoral Commission has taken that right away from the Kurdish diaspora because they know the nation of Kurdistan is wise and can, through parliament, defend its constitutional rights."

Ghafuri's argument is rooted in a clear historical pattern. In the four previous elections where overseas voting was facilitated, the results consistently showed a massive turnout among the Kurdish diaspora.

"In four elections, in European countries, Kurds won the most votes, and among all Kurdish parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party obtained the most votes," he recounted.

This consistent and powerful bloc of votes from abroad has been a significant factor in bolstering the number of seats won by Kurdish parties in the Iraqi parliament.

The IHEC's decision to now effectively eliminate this bloc of voters is, in his view, a direct consequence of that past success. "For fear of that Kurdish victory being repeated, they took that right away from the Kurdistan diaspora," Ghafuri concluded.

The impact of this decision is not just being felt in terms of frustration; it is spurring a remarkable, albeit costly and difficult, act of political determination.

Denied the ability to vote in their countries of residence, a significant number of Kurdish expatriates are now taking the extraordinary step of returning to the Kurdistan Region to cast their ballots in person.

"We have decided to return," Ghafuri said, speaking of his own plans and a broader movement within the community. "Hundreds of other Kurdish expatriates are on their way intending to return to Kurdistan to vote."

This reverse migration for the sake of a single vote is a powerful testament to the importance the diaspora places on the upcoming election.

Ghafuri described an active and ongoing organizational effort to support this movement and to ensure that their presence translates into a strong showing for their chosen representatives.

"We are busy with our own organizational work to see how we can support the election process and list 275 of the Kurdistan Democratic Party," he said, "to obtain the rights of the people of Kurdistan in Baghdad, who have now usurped those rights from the people of Kurdistan."

This passionate mobilization from abroad comes as the election within Iraq is already being marred by a host of serious challenges that threaten its credibility.

As previously reported by Kurdistan24, citing the Associated Press, the campaign has been plagued by widespread allegations of rampant vote-buying, with one campaign official claiming the price for a single voter card can reach as high as $200.

The pre-election period has also seen a return of political violence, most shockingly with the car bomb assassination of Safaa al-Mashhadani, a Sunni candidate in a district north of Baghdad, a crime that authorities believe was "related to electoral competition."

Furthermore, the election is taking place under the significant influence of powerful Iran-backed militias, whose affiliated political parties are leveraging their considerable financial and military power to compete for seats.

This context of corruption, violence, and militia influence makes the participation of every single eligible voter—including those from the diaspora—all the more critical for those parties and communities seeking to push back against these trends and advocate for a more stable, sovereign, and democratic Iraq.

The IHEC's decision to effectively disenfranchise the diaspora is therefore seen by its critics not as an isolated administrative issue, but as another component in a broader political environment that seems tilted against fair and equitable representation.

For the hundreds of Kurds now booking flights from Europe, North America, and Australia to Erbil and Sulaimani, the journey is more than a trip home; it is an act of political defiance, a costly and personal protest against a decision they see as fundamentally unjust, and a determined effort to ensure that their voices, silenced from afar, will be heard loud and clear at the ballot boxes in their homeland.