KDP confirms participation in upcoming Kurdistan parliamentary elections
"We have always been ready for the elections, but we have had some comments on the mechanisms for conducting the elections. With the changes that have taken place now, yes we will participate in the elections," he stated.
Erbil (Kurdistan24) – The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) will participate in the forthcoming Kurdistan parliamentary elections, announced Ari Harsin, head of the party’s fourth branch in Sulaimani, during a news conference on Sunday.
"Yes, we will participate in the elections," Harsin confirmed.
"We have always been ready for the elections, but we have had some comments on the mechanisms for conducting the elections. With the changes that have taken place now, yes we will participate in the elections," he stated.
In a letter addressed to Fawzi Hariri, the Chief of Staff at the Kurdistan Region Presidency, Judge Omar Ahmad, Chairman of the Iraqi Independent High Election Commission (IHEC), proposed holding the sixth session of the Kurdistan Parliament on September 9, 2024. Kurdistan24 obtained a copy of the letter.
Ari Harsin noted that the proposal from the IHEC will be reviewed by President Nechirvan Barzani, who, in consultation with the political parties—a customary practice—will determine the official date for the parliamentary elections.
Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) President Nechirvan Barzani had previously announced that the sixth session of the KRG parliamentary elections would be held on June 10.
However, a consensus among all political parties has emerged that the elections cannot be held on the initially scheduled date.
The primary reason for the postponement is the decision by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and various ethnic and religious communities within the Kurdistan Region to refrain from participating in the upcoming election.
This decision follows a controversial ruling by the Iraq Federal Supreme Court to annul the 11 quota seats reserved for the representation of these communities in the Kurdistan Region.
The court's decision has led to an agreement among political parties that the election cannot proceed as planned in June.
Read More: We refrain from justifying undemocratic elections: KDP Politburo
Concerns about potential manipulation or external interference in the election results have also contributed to the decision to delay the elections. Political parties agree that the elections should be postponed to ensure a fair and transparent process.
Read More: KDP doesn’t accept any illegal interference in parliamentary elections, says spox
In response to complaints filed by the affected communities, the Iraqi Supreme Federal Court (SFC) decided to allocate five of the 100 seats in the KRG parliament to these communities. Consequently, the distribution of the five reserved seats is as follows:
- Erbil: Two seats (one for Christians and one for Turkmen)
- Sulaimani: Two seats (one for Christians and one for Turkmen)
- Duhok: One seat for Armenians
The remaining 95 seats will be allocated as general seats.
Previously, the Iraqi Supreme Court had decided to reduce the total number of seats in the KRG parliament to 100, with the IHEC distributing them among the provinces: Erbil (34 seats), Sulaimani (38 seats), Duhok (25 seats), and Halabja (3 seats).
This redistribution and the decision to delay the elections highlight the ongoing complexities and challenges facing the electoral process in the Kurdistan Region.
