'I Voted in Less Than a Minute; By Voting, We Will Obtain the Rights of the Kurdish People,' Sihad Barzani

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – A senior Peshmerga commander issued a powerful call to arms on Sunday, urging his forces and all Kurdish citizens to wield their most potent weapon in the current political landscape: their vote. After casting his own ballot in what he described as a flawless process that took less than a minute, Lt. Gen. Sihad Barzani, Commander of the First Support Forces, declared that active participation in the election is the only way to secure the constitutional rights of the Kurdish people in Baghdad. 

His message, which highlighted a vastly improved and technically sound voting system, resonated with a broader theme articulated by Peshmerga leaders throughout the day: that the democratic process is the new frontline in the long struggle for the Kurdish cause.

Speaking at a press conference in Shaqlawa after casting his vote, Lt. Gen. Sihad Barzani delivered a direct and impassioned message to the forces under his command and across the Kurdistan Region.

"My message to every Peshmerga is to go to the ballot boxes and cast their vote," he announced, "so that the Kurdish representatives in the Iraqi parliament will be more numerous and can defend the rights of the Kurdish people in Baghdad."

He explicitly framed the act of voting as a strategic imperative, a democratic method to fortify the Kurdish position within the federal structure of Iraq.

Crucially, his call was bolstered by his own positive experience with the electoral mechanics, a point of significant reassurance given the technical failures that have marred past elections. He indicated that the process this time was "much, much better" than in previous contests.

"The problems of the past have been solved and the process was very easy, the voting did not take more than a minute," Lt. Gen. Sihad Barzani stated. He then drew a stark contrast with the past, revealing the high cost of previous technical failures: "Last time, due to technical problems, about 100 to 200 thousand votes were lost."

This detail underscores the critical importance of a smooth and reliable system, suggesting that the integrity of the vote itself has been significantly enhanced, making each ballot cast all the more impactful.

Commander Barzani then extended his appeal from the Peshmerga to the general public, looking ahead to the general election scheduled for Tuesday, November 11.

"I call on all the Kurdish people to go to the ballot boxes and choose their desired list and candidate," he urged, "so that we can prove to the whole world and also to Iraq that the Kurds are a living nation and can stand up to all challenges."

He stressed that the battlefield has shifted from a military to a political one, where the primary means of defense is democratic participation. "Now that it is the voting process, the only way to defend the rights of our people will be through voting and a democratic process," he affirmed.

His words were part of a unified chorus of sentiment from the Peshmerga leadership on this historic special voting day. His message echoed that of Rawan Barzani, Commander of the Halo Special Forces, who earlier told Kurdistan24 that the Peshmerga who "defended the land and the homeland with blood" are now in a new phase, where they must "defend its rights with its vote."

The Commander of the Zerevani Forces, Aziz Waisi, also described the day as a potential "historic turning point for Kurdistan," emphasizing the profound equality of the moment where "there is no difference between a commander and a Peshmerga."

In his closing remarks, Sihad Barzani paid high tribute to the enduring spirit and sacrifice of the forces he leads. "The Peshmerga has proven with its blood that it defends this land, people, and entity, and it will continue to do so," he declared, linking their historic martial valor to their current civic duty.

This high-level encouragement came amidst a massive and remarkably smooth special voting process across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. More than one million and 313 thousand members of the security forces—including 145,907 from the Ministry of Peshmerga and 124,312 from the KRG Ministry of Interior—and over 26,000 displaced persons were eligible to vote.

The Independent High Electoral Commission of Iraq (IHEC) confirmed that the process, held across 809 dedicated centers, proceeded without any significant technical issues, a fact that Sihad Barzani’s personal experience directly corroborated.

The disciplined and orderly participation of the Peshmerga was a standout feature of the day. As previously reported, the Zerevani Forces Command had instituted a meticulous schedule to allow its members to vote directly from their defensive trenches without creating crowds or compromising their duties, a move their spokesperson called a "sign of complete commitment to the process."

Commander Aziz Waisi also confirmed the Peshmerga's dual role, noting that in addition to voting, more than 500 Peshmerga units were on high alert as a third line of defense to ensure the security of the election.

The successful execution of this first electoral phase, free from the technical glitches that disenfranchised so many in the past, has created a foundation of confidence as the nation heads towards Tuesday's general election.

The unified message from the Peshmerga leadership—from Sihad Barzani’s praise of the one-minute vote to Aziz Waisi’s hope for a historic turning point—has transformed a logistical exercise into a powerful national statement.

It is a declaration that for the Peshmerga, the defense of Kurdistan continues, not just with blood and sacrifice on the battlefield, but with ballots and democratic resolve in the political arena.