KDP VP Masrour Barzani: Only KDP Can Defend Kurdish Rights in Iraqi Parliament

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Masrour Barzani, Vice President of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), rallied supporters in Shaqlawa on Sunday, framing the upcoming Iraqi parliamentary elections as a critical juncture for the Kurdish people and positioning his party as their indispensable defender in Baghdad.

Addressing a campaign ceremony for the KDP's list 275, Barzani credited the party's enduring success to popular support and issued a forceful call for high voter turnout to secure Kurdish rights.

"The history of the KDP is clear. With Kurdistan behind us, we will always demand the rights of the Kurdish people, and no force can destroy us," Barzani stated, to cheers from the crowd.

Barzani presented the election as a binary choice for the Kurdish electorate. "We can either allow the chaos to continue and allow our rights to be violated, or we can defend the constitutional rights of the people through the active participation of KDP members in the Iraqi parliament," he asserted.

He positioned the KDP as the only party with a proven record of defending Kurdish interests, asking rhetorically, "Which party has defended the rights of the Kurdish people, except for KDP representatives?"

The KDP Vice President outlined a clear mandate for his party's candidates in the Iraqi capital. He pledged that they would "safeguard the rights of the Kurdish people and all communities, defend democracy and freedom, and avoid making secret agreements like other parties."

He also issued a stark warning against rival Kurdish and Iraqi factions, whom he accused of attempting to hinder the KDP. "Parties that still harbor chauvinistic ideas aim to undermine the KDP and are prepared to fracture Kurdistan. This time, we must prevent them from doing so," Barzani stated, emphasizing that the KDP considers itself the "rightful owner of all of Kurdistan."

Turning to the stalled formation of the tenth cabinet of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Barzani defended the KDP's stance. He rejected accusations that his party was obstructing the process, insisting that the KDP would not support a government used for "personal gain" or one that includes "embezzlement, the corrupt, and the mafia."

"The KDP insists that the government must be inclusive—one government, one Kurdistan," he said, framing it as a matter of principle based on the directive of President Masoud Barzani.

Barzani also told supporters, "We are moving toward light, progress, and victory." He affirmed that with their continued support, the KDP would remain the dominant and successful political force in the region, uniquely capable of effective governance.