Kurdish Lawmaker to Kirkuk Voters: “Strengthen the Kurdish Position and Defend Our National Achievements”
KDP lawmaker Shakhawan Abdullah urges Kirkuk's Kurds to vote in masse to "strengthen the Kurdish position and defend national achievements" in Iraq's election. He pledged to monitor the electoral commission for a fair process.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – In a decisive message ahead of Iraq’s parliamentary elections, Shakhawan Abdullah, the Head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) List 275 in Kirkuk, on Friday called on the city’s residents to participate in the elections “to strengthen the Kurdish position and safeguard national achievements.”
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Abdullah emphasized that full participation by Kirkuk’s Kurdish population is essential to defending their political and national rights within Iraq’s evolving landscape.
“Every Kurd from Kirkuk must return to their city on election day and cast their vote — regardless of political affiliation,” Abdullah said. “Kirkuk stands at the heart of our national achievements, and we must reinforce the Kurdish position in this city.”
Abdullah, who also serves as Deputy Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, underscored that the KDP’s campaign in Kirkuk has adhered strictly to the guidelines of President Masoud Barzani, prioritizing calm, discipline, and responsibility.
“Although other sides have carried out unfair attacks against the KDP, we have remained committed to President Barzani’s principles and have not responded,” he stated. “This is what distinguishes the KDP’s political culture from others.”
He further confirmed that the party will monitor the election process closely to ensure transparency and fairness.
“On election day, we will oversee the work of the Commission to guarantee that the voting process is conducted transparently and fairly,” Abdullah said.
The remarks come just one day before the official end of Iraq’s national election campaign. On Oct. 1, 2025, Jumana Ghalai, spokesperson for the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission, told Kurdistan24 that the campaign officially began at 12 a.m. on October 3 and will conclude at midnight on Nov. 8, 2025.
According to the Commission, 21,404,291 Iraqis are eligible to vote, including citizens from the Kurdistan Region, with 20,063,773 registered for general voting and 1,313,980 eligible for special voting such as security forces and displaced persons.
A total of 38 political parties, 31 coalitions, and 75 independent candidates are competing nationwide, with 7,768 candidates—including 5,520 men and 2,248 women—running for seats in the sixth term of the Iraqi Parliament, scheduled for November 11, 2025.
Kirkuk remains one of Iraq’s most symbolically charged and politically sensitive provinces, often described as the “miniature Iraq” due to its diverse population and contested governance. For the KDP, mobilizing voters in Kirkuk represents not only an electoral challenge but also a reaffirmation of the Kurdish people’s constitutional rights and presence in one of the country’s most strategically vital cities.
As Abdullah’s message resounded through the final hours of the campaign, it reflected the KDP’s broader theme — one echoed throughout the Kurdistan Region: that unity, participation, and adherence to democratic principles are the Kurdish people’s most powerful instruments for defending their place in Iraq’s political future.
