ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — The first session of the Kurdistan Parliament’s sixth term convened with 97 of the 100 newly-elected members taking their oaths. However, due to the absence of the required quorum, the election of leadership positions has been postponed until the next session.
The inaugural session, presided over by Mohammed Sulaiman, the oldest member from the New Generation Movement (NGM), saw newly elected MPs take their oaths, officially marking the start of their duties in the Kurdistan Parliament’s sixth term.
While the session began smoothly, the vote on key leadership positions—Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and Secretary of Parliament—was disrupted due to a lack of quorum, as several MPs from the KDP and PUK left the chamber, leaving the positions unresolved to unknown date.
In the contest for the three key positions of Parliament Presidency, 16 candidates were put forward by the KDP, PUK, New Generation, and the Christian bloc. However, the voting was delayed due to fewer than 45 MPs being present, with many from the KDP and PUK absent from the hall.
“We, as a political party, see ourselves as an alternative to the ruling parties, and for any position where both the KDP and PUK have candidates, we will also present our own candidates,” said Kurdawan Jamal, head of the New Generation Movement faction, during a press conference.
Former Kurdistan Parliament Secretary Muna Qahwachi, from the Turkmen community, stressed that resolving the key leadership positions in Parliament requires political agreements.
Despite a second call from the session’s oldest member, the session was postponed due to a lack of quorum, with only a few MPs from the Islamic Union of Kurdistan and the New Generation Movement in attendance.
“The election of key parliamentary leadership positions was postponed due to a lack of quorum, as KDP and PUK MPs walked out, despite repeated calls for attendance,” stated Mohammed Marwan, the oldest member of Parliament and president of the session.
Some political parties view the suspension of the first session and the postponement of voting on key positions as a move to protect national unity, while others see it as a scenario orchestrated by all three major factions in the legislature: KDP, PUK, and NGM.
“Electing candidates for key parliamentary leadership positions requires dialogue and political agreement among political parties to set the legislature on the right track,” a newly elected member of the KDP faction told Zoom News.
Meanwhile, Ali Hamasalih, head of the Stance Movement (Halwest) faction, told reporters the events during the first session of the Kurdistan Parliament’s sixth term were a result of a coordinated agreement between the three major political parties to intentionally disrupt the quorum and block the election of the legislature’s presidency.
After a two-year delay caused by disputes among the ruling parties, the Kurdistan parliamentary elections were held on October 20, 2024. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) retained its dominance with 39 seats, while its long-time rival, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), secured 23 seats. The New Generation Movement (NGM) followed with 15 seats.
Parties with fewer seats expressed concerns that the votes were predetermined and alleged widespread voter manipulation. However, their complaints were dismissed by the Iraqi Electoral Commission (IHEC).
