‘We are very happy with election result’: Senior KDP official

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Supreme Electoral Committee of the leading Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) announced in a press conference on Tuesday that the party is very happy with the results of Iraq’s parliamentary elections.

“Although we have concerns about the electoral process, we are happy with the election results, and we do accept them,” Hoshyar Zebari, a member of the KDP’s Supreme Electoral Committee, told the press conference.

Zebari said that the quick announcement of the preliminary election results by Iraq’s Independent High Election Committee (IHEC) was “crucial” for avoiding any “tampering with the results.”

“The people punished those who stood against the interests of the Kurdistan Region,” he said of Sunday’s election.

He also said that the KDP has already started talks with Iraqi political parties on the formation of the next Iraqi government.

“We already have a good political understanding with all the Iraqi blocs,” Zebari said. “However, we will only enter into coalitions with those who agree with us on the interests of Kurdistan Region and its people’s rights.”

Reemphasizing the KDP’s good relations with all Iraqi blocs, he added that the KDP’s door is open for all.

“We don’t put all of our eggs in one basket,” he said.

Kurds will retain the presidency of Iraq in the new government. 

“The position of the Iraqi president will remain for Kurds, and the Kurds will select a candidate for this position that represents all Kurds, not only one political party,” Zebari said.

“The Kurds will select their candidate for the Iraqi president’s position, the Shia will select their candidate for the Iraqi prime minister’s position, and the Sunnis will select their candidate for the Iraqi parliament speaker’s position,” he added.

He pointed out that the KDP had candidates across the country, including the disputed territories of Kirkuk and Sinjar as well as Iraq’s central and southern provinces. This, Zebari said, proved that the KDP is for everyone in Iraq.

“We will soon form a delegation to go to Baghdad and hold negotiations, and we will agree with those who have a clear government program that protects the rights of the Kurdistan Region and its people,” Zebari said.

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In a related development, Hawar Mohammed, Head of the Legal Section of KDP Electoral Office, stated on Tuesday that the KDP submitted 28 complaints to IHEC over violations committed during the electoral process in four provinces.

“We registered 28 complaints in Kirkuk, Halabja, Ninewa, and Sulaimani over violations committed during the electoral process,” Mohammed told Kurdistan 24.

The violations included fraud and voter intimidation.

Mohammed pointed out that complaint forms were not available at some polling centers.

“If our complaints get accepted by IHEC the number of KDP seats will increase from 34 to 35,” he said.

Mohammed Khorshid, the head of KDP headquarters in Kirkuk, extolled the KDP election campaign in Kirkuk for the victory of the two KDP candidates there.

“I thank the people of Kirkuk for the trust they gave us,” Khorshid told Kurdistan 24. “The stances of President Masoud Barzani and the KDP toward Kirkuk made its people vote for the party.”