Parliamentary elections in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region will be held on October 20, as announced by the regional presidency on Wednesday. The elections, intended to choose the 100 representatives for the northern region’s legislature, were initially planned for October 2022. They faced numerous delays and political disputes, with the most recent postponement occurring earlier this month. The decision to hold the elections on October 20 was declared in a decree issued by regional President Nechirvan Barzani, as read by his spokesperson Dilshad Shahab in a televised statement.
The path to this date has been fraught with challenges. In February, the federal court ruled to reduce the number of seats in the Kurdish parliament from 111 to 100, effectively eliminating a quota reserved for Turkmen and Christian minorities. This ruling sparked anger from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), a prominent political force in the region that holds key positions of power. The KDP declared a boycott of the elections, refusing to register candidates and deepening the political deadlock in the region. However, following a judicial restoration of five seats reserved for minorities, the KDP reversed its course and agreed to participate in the elections.
The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the other major political player in Iraqi Kurdistan, has consistently opposed any delay in holding the elections. The Kurdistan region has enjoyed autonomy since 1991 and presents itself as a haven of stability, attracting foreign investment to Iraq. However, activists and opposition figures criticize the region, denouncing corruption, the suppression of dissent, and arbitrary arrests.
