Elections Maintain Status Quo In Iraq’s Kurdistan

Kurdistan held parliamentary elections on October 20 which had been delayed for two years. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) came in first as expected but lost seats.

 

The Iraq Election Commission said voter turnout was 72%.

 

Voting was originally scheduled for October 2022 but was delayed due to disputes between the KDP and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).

 

The date was set due to actions by Baghdad. In May 2023 the Federal Supreme Court ruled that all decisions by the Kurdistan parliament after its term ended in 2022 were void. That forced the KDP and PUK to make compromises.

 

The central government interfered again when the Supreme Court reduced the number of parliamentary seats from 111 to 100 and cut the number of quota seats for minorities from 11 to 5. It also said that the national Election Commission would oversee the balloting not the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Commission.

 

Early results had the KDP coming in first as predicted. The KDP won 39 seats followed by 23 for the PUK, 15 for New Generation the most popular opposition group, 7 for the Kurdistan Islamic Union, 4 for the National Stance a breakaway party from Gorran/Change, 3 for the Kurdistan Justice Group, 2 for the People’s Front led by a former PUK leader, 1 seat for Gorran, and 1 seat for the Kurdistan Region Alliance made up of Leftist parties.

 

In the last election in September 2018 the KDP won 45 seats, the PUK 21, Gorran 12, New Generation 8, the Komal/the Kurdistan Islamic Group 7, the Kurdistan Islamic Union-Kurdistan Islamic Movement-Reform List 5, the Modern Coalition 1, and the Kurdistan Communist Party 1.

 

2019 KRG Parliamentary Election Results

Parties	Seats
KDP	45
PUK	21
Gorran	12
New Generation	8
Komal/Kurdistan Islamic Group	7
Kurdistan Islamic Union/Kurdistan Islamic Movement/Reform List	5
Modern Coalition	1
Kurdistan Communist Party	1

 

 

2024 KRG Parliamentary Election Results

Parties	Seats
KDP	39
PUK	23
New Generation	15
Kurdistan Islamic Union	7
National Stance	4
Kurdistan Justice Group	3
People’s Front	2
Gorran	1
Kurdistan Region Alliance	1

 

Instead of one voting district as occurred in previous elections this time the KRG was broken up into 4, Dohuk, Irbil, Sulaymaniya and Halabja. The KDP came in first in their strongholds of Dohuk and Irbil while the PUK did the same in Sulaymaniya and Halabja.

 

Dohuk Election Results

Party	Votes
KDP	400,603
New Generation	46,444
Kurdistan Islamic Union	42,447
PUK	28,445
National Stance	8,410
People’s Front	2,605

 

Irbil Election Results

Party	Votes
KDP	345,822
PUK	110,353
New Generation	103,684
Kurdistan Islamic Union	24,065
Kurdistan Justice Group	20,191
National Stance	16,736
People’s Front	9,735

 

Sulaymaniya Election Results

Party	Votes
PUK	256,813
New Generation	136,131
KDP	57,832
Kurdistan Islamic Union	42,622
Kurdistan Justice Group	36,627
National Stance	29,346
People’s Front	20,300

 

Halabja Election Results

Party	Votes
PUK	12,530
Kurdistan Islamic Union	7,847
KDP	4,940
New Generation	4,732
Kurdistan Justice Group	4,215
National Stance	1,283
People’s Front	725

 

Christan parties boycotted the election although individual Christian politicians continued to run for office. The parties abstained from participating because they were angered by the Supreme Court decision reducing the number of minority seats and by the KDP and PUK manipulating votes for those positions. The two ruling parties attempted to get their supporters elected to all the quota seats.

 

The KDP turned out to be the big loser in the vote. It went from 45 MPs in 2018 to 39 in 2024. The PUK slightly increased its numbers from 21 to 23. This will upset the Barzani family in its attempt to monopolize the top positions within the KRG. They have taken advantage of the fracturing of the PUK since the passing of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. Before the parties had a 50-50 power sharing agreement but the KDP discarded that when the Patriotic Union began running into trouble. The Democratic Party’s reduction in seats will mean it will have to make more deals to form a new government.

 

Finally, the opposition received almost the same number of seats just its composition changed. Gorran has completely fallen off as the main party against the ruling duo due to its alliance with the PUK and leadership differences. New Generational is now the leading opposition.

 

Overall, the election largely maintained the status quo in Kurdistan. The same major parties are returning to power. They offer no real change in the region which is facing an economic crisis due to its failed independent oil policy and dependence upon the central government. Public jobs are the main source of employment but there are not enough of them. The KRG has also had problems paying them due to its budget woes. That leaves few opportunities for the young who are leaving Iraq in greater numbers mostly for Europe.  

 

SOURCES

 

Al Aalem, “Despite their decline in seats, the Party and Ekiti downplay the impact of the rise of opposition parties,” 10/21/24

- “To preserve gains, Turkey and Iran enter the electoral race in the Kurdistan Region,” 10/15/24

 

Bas News, “IHEC Announces Preliminary Results for Kurdistan Elections,” 10/22/24

 

Al Hurra, “Christian ‘boycott’ of Iraqi Kurdistan parliamentary elections over seat quota,” 10/18/24

- “Traditional and new parties … Will the map of alliances change in Iraqi Kurdistan?” 10/18/24

 

Mahmoud, Sinan, “Iraq’s Kurdistan region prepares for crucial elections amid political divisions and economic crisis,” The National, 10/18/24

 

NINA, “The IHEC: The participation rate in the Kurdistan elections is 31% until mid-day,” 10/20/24

 

Rudaw, “Election commission publishes official KRG election results,” 10/20/18

- “KDP, PUK to secure 62 seats in Kurdistan parliament: Projection,” 10/22/24

- “KIU condemns voter intimidation in advance poll,” 10/19/24