SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region — Political parties in the Kurdistan Region have announced their readiness to participate in the sixth term of the Kurdistan parliamentary elections, scheduled for October 20 by the Kurdistan Region Presidency on Wednesday.
Dilshad Shahab, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Region Presidency, declared on Wednesday the Regional Decree issued by Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, stipulating that the sixth session of the Kurdistan parliamentary elections will take place on October 20, 2024.
Following the announcement of the newly scheduled election date, political parties in the Kurdistan Region have expressed their positions on the matter, affirming their readiness for the upcoming elections, despite some concerns over the chosen date.
Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) spokesperson Mahmood Mohammed announced in a statement that KDP is set to begin preparations actively for the elections. This comes as the top-ruling party previously decided to bocott the elections over its concerns.
However, the KDP spokesperson on Wednesday expressed optimism for fair and transparent elections after some of the party’s concerns, such as the quota seats for minorities and voter identification issues, have been addressed. However, some other concerns have yet to be resolved.
Saadi Ahmed Pira, spokesperson for the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), confirmed the party’s participation in the upcoming elections. Pira expressed confidence in the electoral process, highlighting that the supervision of the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) minimizes the risk of election fraud and result manipulation.
Shaswar Abdulwahid, leader of the New Generation Movement, in a post on X, expressed concerns about the scheduled election date, describing it as “far away.” Despite this, he emphasized the elections as a crucial chance to address the Region’s challenges. As the leader of an opposition party, Abdulwahid expressed eagerness for election day, hopeful that these elections would bring an end to the 33-year rule of the KDP and the PUK in the Region.
The election date is far away, and we had hoped the Kurdistan parliamentary elections would be held sooner. However, these elections are crucial for the Kurdish people to overcome this unfavorable situation. We eagerly look forward to election day and the end of the detrimental…
— Shaswar Abdalwahid qadir (@ShaswarQadir) June 26, 2024
Mohammed Hakim, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Justice Group (Komal), announced the party’s stance on the recent decree by the KRI Presidency. Hakim emphasized the party’s readiness for the electoral process and expressed hope that the elections would proceed as scheduled without further delays. He urged against any pressures and excuses that could disrupt the electoral timeline to safeguard the Region’s legitimacy.
The Change (Goran) Movement also welcomed the Presidency’s decree, expressing hope that political disputes and technical procedures will not hinder the conduct of the electoral process on the new timeline.
Other political parties in the Kurdistan Region, such as the Kurdistan Socialist Democratic Party, Kurdistan Islamic Union, and the newly-formed National Stance Movement (Rawti Halwest), addressed the recent announcement of the election date. They collectively welcomed the decision while acknowledging their concerns and differing stances on the long-overdue elections.
The scheduling of the Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary elections has been a contentious issue among the region’s political parties, especially the ruling parties. This contention has prompted the KRI Presidency to issue five Regional Decrees at various times to conduct the parliamentary elections, but the elections have been postponed multiple times.
