PUK: KDP is preventing the elections but they will be held sooner or later!

PUK Spokesperson Saeed Ahmed Pîre stated that the KDP is preventing the Kurdistan Region Parliament elections from being held.

SOUTH KURDISTAN ELECTIONS

In February 2024, the Iraqi Federal Court issued a new ruling declaring the quota number of seats in the Kurdistan Regional Parliament unconstitutional and ordered the division of the Kurdistan Region into four constituencies. With the new ruling, the number of seats in the regional parliament was reduced from 111 to 100. The court also stated that oil and all other revenues of the Kurdistan Region should be handed over to Baghdad.

In light of the decisions, the election date was set as 10 June.

Following the decisions taken by Baghdad for the Kurdistan region, which has not renewed its parliament for years and has not established a regular election system, the KDP announced that it would not participate in the elections.

The KDP Politburo stated, "We will not comply with the decisions of the Iraqi Federal Court. We will not participate in elections that are illegal, unconstitutional and overshadowed by an imposed system."

Although the Kurdistan Region Parliament and the government have been in office for nearly two years, the KDP was not in favor of the elections. The elections were repeatedly postponed on arbitrary grounds and various disagreements.

Some observers are skeptical about the KDP's decision and think that the KDP chose the "boycott" route as an escape since it will not be able to get the desired result from the elections.

Jumane Helay, the spokesperson of the Iraqi Independent Supreme Election Commission, stated on 8 May that the Commission temporarily halted the preparations for the Kurdistan Region Parliamentary Elections after the decision taken by the Iraqi Federal Court.

Jumane Helay announced that the preparations for the elections have been suspended until the complaints about the elections are finalised.

Masrour Barzani, the prime minister of the interim government of the Kurdistan Region, filed a complaint to the Iraqi Federal Court on 6 May and asked for the suspension of the preparations for the parliamentary elections for the 6th term in Kurdistan Region.

The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Spokesperson Seedî Ahmed Pîre made a press statement on Sunday, providing information about the reasons why the Kurdistan Region Parliamentary elections were not held.

Underlining that the KDP does not allow the elections to be held even now, Saeed Ahmed Pîre said, "Sooner or later this election will be held. The sooner this is done, the better it will be for the region".

Speaking about the situation in Kirkuk, Pîre said, "All political parties in Kirkuk need to agree on a governor. It is unacceptable for a party that won fewer seats to prevent the appointment of a governor for Kirkuk."