SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region — Several Turkmen political parties have announced their decision to boycott the upcoming Kurdistan parliamentary elections. The move comes in response to the removal of 11 quota seats reserved for minority communities, deemed unconstitutional by the Iraqi Federal Court.
The Turkmen parties, along with Chaldean, Syrian, Assyrian, and Armenian parties, oppose the elimination of quota seats, arguing that it undermines fair representation as mandated by Article 49 of the Iraqi constitution.
Article 49 of the Iraqi constitution stipulates that representation of all segments of the Iraqi populace must be maintained in the parliament.
The dispute, originating from a ruling by Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court, has sparked widespread discontent among the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and minority political groups in the Kurdistan Region.
In a recent development, Kurdish judge Abdulrahman Suleiman has decided to withdraw from membership in the Iraqi Federal Court.
In a statement to reporters, Judge Abdulrahman expressed his inability to adequately protect the rights of the Kurdish people within the court, citing instances where decisions have violated the court’s principles.
However, the court said his withdrawal will not impede the court’s proceedings due to the presence of three reserve judges.
Despite the ongoing disputes, the Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary elections are slated to take place on June 10th, as per a recent decree issued by President Nechirvan Barzani.
