Survey Reveals Public Mandate: Kurdistan Residents Call for Unified Political Front in Iraq
Citizens across the Kurdistan Region are urging Kurdish political parties to unite in Baghdad, warning that division weakens Kurdistan’s position and undermines its ability to defend public rights at the federal level.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - From Erbil to Duhok, and from Zakho to Sulaimani, citizens of the Kurdistan Region are raising a unified message to Kurdish political parties: only collective action in Baghdad can safeguard Kurdish rights and restore the Region’s political weight at the federal level.
In a survey conducted by Kurdistan24, many residents said that political fragmentation has weakened Kurdistan’s standing in Baghdad, undermining its ability to defend public interests and advance shared demands.
Mohammad Amin, a resident of Erbil, said Kurdish unity in Baghdad would have a significant impact, stressing that attempts had already been made to achieve this goal.
“The Kurdistan Democratic Party tried to bring everyone together,” he said. “The KDP made major efforts so that all parties would go to Baghdad as one package, but some parties prevented that and became the reason the Kurds went separately.”
Another Erbil resident, Ibrahim Abdullah, echoed the sentiment, saying: “If the Kurds go to Baghdad with one unified voice, they will succeed in all matters.”
From Duhok, citizen Nihad Ali emphasized that unity is essential for conveying the people’s demands at the federal level.
“It is very important that the demands of the people are presented in Baghdad and that everyone unites, alongside the Kurdistan Democratic Party,” he said.
In Zakho, Pewr Younis expressed hope that all Kurdish parties would act collectively, stating: “We hope all Kurds go together to the Iraqi parliament as one package and secure the rights of the people.”
Citizens in Sulaimani voiced similar concerns. Jotyar Hamlaw said Kurdish unity has historically been the only solution to political challenges.
“We Kurds, since the establishment of the Iraqi state, our only solution has been unity,” he said. “We must stand as one line in the Iraqi political arena; then we can achieve more gains.”
Another Sulaimani resident, Luqman Khalil, criticized parties that pursued independent paths in Baghdad.
“Those parties that did not take the others into account and went alone are the main ones responsible,” he said. “They caused the Kurds in Baghdad to be scattered in this way.”
The calls for unity come amid ongoing debate over Kurdish political representation in Iraq. On Nov. 18, 2025, Masrour Barzani, Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region and Deputy President of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, asserted the KDP’s electoral standing at the Iraqi level during the Middle East Peace and Security Forum in Duhok.
“KDP have won more than 1,100,000 votes, so we are the number one party.” PM Barzani Said.
He added: “As a single party, we are number one. The Coordination Framework has a few thousand more votes than us, but as a single party, we are the number one party.”
The statement underscored the KDP’s position as the leading political force in Iraq when measured by votes obtained by a single party.
Across the Kurdistan Region, citizens say the message is clear: political unity in Baghdad is not a slogan but a necessity, one they believe is essential to protecting Kurdish rights and strengthening Kurdistan’s voice within Iraq.