KDP Warns of Withdrawal After Iraqi Parliament Fails to Fill 2nd Deputy Speaker Role

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — The newly convened Iraqi Council of Representatives failed to elect a Second Deputy Speaker after two rounds of voting ended in a stalemate late Monday, plunging the nascent legislative term into immediate political acrimony.

The deadlock has prompted senior officials from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) to allege a broad "conspiracy" aimed at undermining the constitutional rights of the Kurdistan Region and has triggered explicit warnings that the party may withdraw from the political process entirely if the outcome does not reflect its electoral standing.

The parliamentary session, which began on Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, successfully elected a Speaker and a First Deputy Speaker, a development described by Hadi al-Amiri, the head of the Badr Alliance, as a "great achievement." However, the inability to settle the post of Second Deputy—a position traditionally reserved for a Kurdish representative under Iraq’s ethno-sectarian quota system—has exposed deep fissures not only between Erbil and Baghdad but within the Kurdish political house itself.

Following the failure of any candidate to secure an absolute majority, the legislature decided to postpone the decisive third round of voting until Tuesday evening, Dec. 30.

Rebaz Hamlan, Assistant to the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, issued a blistering critique on Tuesday regarding the parliamentary maneuvers, characterizing the events in Baghdad as a coordinated effort to strip the KDP of its entitlements.

In a message directed at both Iraqi and rival Kurdish factions, Hamlan asserted that the political machinations witnessed on the parliament floor amounted to a "conspiracy by some tame Kurdish parties that oppose the KDP." He argued that opposing the KDP was "exactly equivalent to opposing the people of Kurdistan and the entity of the Region."

Hamlan’s comments reflected the KDP’s position that it remains the "sole defender" of the region's constitutional rights and financial entitlements.

He alleged that smaller Kurdish parties, whom he described as being "created with money from some parties in Baghdad and local support," were functioning as "puppets" utilized by central political forces to weaken the Kurdistan Region and impose a centralized system of governance. 

"The goal of these parties was to strike at the KDP's candidates for high positions in Iraq," Hamlan stated, adding that his party has officially conveyed its conditions to the Shiite-led Coordination Framework, insisting that all rights must be consolidated.

The tension on the ground in the Green Zone was palpable as the voting numbers were tallied. In the second round of voting, Rebwar Karim, a Kurdish candidate supported by a coalition of non-KDP factions, took the lead with 156 votes. Shakhawan Abdullah, the KDP’s candidate, trailed with 102 votes, while 22 ballots were declared invalid.

According to the Iraqi constitution and parliamentary bylaws, a candidate requires an absolute majority of the parliament’s members to secure the seat. With neither contender reaching the legal threshold, the Speaker of the session called for a third round, which was subsequently delayed to allow for further backroom negotiations.

Bangin Rekani, a member of the KDP delegation to Baghdad, told Kurdistan24 that the implications of this standoff extend far beyond a single parliamentary seat.

He issued a stark ultimatum regarding the future of government formation, stating, "If the results are not to the KDP's liking, the KDP will have a stance, and it is possible it will withdraw from the political process."

Rekani emphasized that the KDP’s position is "unchanging and clear," warning that failure to elect their candidate would directly impact the formation of the new government cabinet.

Rekani attributed the deadlock to "political and personal" roots rather than mere procedural hurdles. He leveled specific criticism at the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the KDP’s historic rival, noting that the party did not support the KDP candidate in the first round.

He also highlighted the fragmentation among Sunni and Shiite forces, which he said mirrored the Kurdish division and hindered the formation of a consensus. "Obtaining 167 votes in this situation is a difficult task," Rekani conceded, noting that the root causes of the friction required more time and discussion to resolve.

The allegations of political betrayal were further amplified by Sherwan Dubardani, a KDP Member of Parliament.

Dubardani warned of a "political and treacherous lobby" working actively to obstruct the KDP’s candidate. He specifically accused Mohammed al-Halbousi, the head of the Sunni Taqadum Party, of initiating a "wide movement inside Parliament encouraging different parties not to vote for the KDP candidate."

Dubardani described the situation as the beginning of efforts to distance the KDP from its constitutional rights, despite the party being the largest Kurdish bloc and the top-performing party at the national level.

Echoing the sentiment of betrayal, Dubardani expressed dismay at the internal Kurdish fragmentation.

"It has become clear to us that some Kurdish parties, especially the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, are not ready to vote for the KDP candidate," he said, characterizing the PUK's stance as a "repetition of treachery committed against the Kurdistan Democratic Party at various stages."

The parliamentary mechanics reflected this intense politicking. Prior to the scheduled rounds, the KDP faction adopted a strategy of brinkmanship.

According to reporting from Baghdad, the faction refused to enter the meeting hall despite the ringing of the entry bell, conditioning their participation on receiving explicit "assurances and political guarantees" from the majority of factions that Abdullah would receive the necessary votes.

The party leadership sought to conclude a final agreement with the Coordination Framework and other blocs before risking a vote on the floor.

Sipan Sherwani, another KDP lawmaker, told Kurdistan24 that the support garnered by the rival candidate, Rebwar Karim, was manufactured by the PUK and specific Shiite and Sunni parties.

"If it weren't for them, they certainly would not have obtained that number of votes," Sherwani said.

He argued that rather than resolving the impasse, the maneuvering was only deepening the political crisis. Daner Abdulghaffar, a colleague in the KDP faction, added that allowing other parties to interfere in internal Kurdish selection processes was detrimental to Kurdish unity.

"If the bet is on breaking the KDP, they cannot," Abdulghaffar stated, asserting the party’s historical resilience.

Hadi al-Amiri, speaking to the Shafaq News agency, confirmed the postponement and acknowledged the failure to reach a legal quorum for the winner.

He noted that the election of the Speaker and First Deputy was a significant step, but the "closeness of the votes" in the second round for the Second Deputy necessitated a delay. Amiri expressed hope that the third round, scheduled for Tuesday evening, would finally settle the post.

However, skepticism regarding a quick resolution remains high.

Dilan Barzan, Kurdistan24's correspondent reporting from Baghdad, observed that as the sessions extended, attendance among parliamentarians began to dwindle, making the prospect of securing an absolute majority even slimmer.

Some lawmakers were seen leaving the hall, refusing to give statements to the media, a sign of the opaque negotiations occurring behind closed doors.

Hoshmand Sadiq, another Kurdistan24 correspondent in Baghdad, reported that following the failed second round, various political delegations visited the KDP faction to discuss potential support for Shakhawan Abdullah.

There is a cautious expectation that the 12-hour postponement might allow for a "positive result" in the upcoming session, provided the political agreements hold. The KDP views the post of Second Deputy Speaker as a strategic asset, critical for influencing the legislative agenda and legal decisions within the Presidency Board.

As the first Kurdish force in Baghdad, the party considers the position an electoral entitlement that reflects its seat count.

As the clock ticks toward the rescheduled session, the rhetoric from the KDP leadership remains defiant.

Rebaz Hamlan invoked the historical struggles of the Barzani family and the party, stating, "History has proven that the KDP has Almighty God, the nation, and the mountains of Kurdistan behind it."

He concluded his message with a declaration of resolve, asserting that the party’s will "has not been broken by any oppressor, nor will it be broken."

The standoff over the Second Deputy Speaker position has thus evolved from a procedural parliamentary vote into a litmus test for the balance of power in the new Iraqi government. With threats of withdrawal on the table and accusations of conspiracy flying between major political blocs, the outcome of Tuesday night’s vote is expected to set the tone for the stability—or instability—of the incoming administration.