The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) has maintained its stance of boycotting parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, raising concerns over electoral procedures and mechanisms. The KDP’s political bureau made a statement to the effect that “continuing in the political process under the current conditions would be untenable for the KDP.”
This could mean that Kurdistan Region elections, which had been scheduled for June, will not take place until October this year. The elections have, in fact, have been continually pushed back since 2022, over disagreements concerning the electoral process.
KDP declared a boycott of the parliamentary elections in March 2023, a decision stemming from a pivotal ruling by Iraq’s Supreme Court the previous month. The ruling invalidated the allocation of 11 quota seats for ethnic and religious minorities in the Kurdistan Region’s electoral law.
Furthermore, it redefined Iraqi Kurdistan into four electoral regions: Al-Sulaymaniyah (Silemani), Erbil (Hewler), Duhok and Halabja, as opposed to a unified constituency. These alterations signified a notable shift in power dynamics, favouring Baghdad’s influence over the Kurdistan Region.
The KDP maintains that the court’s decision is unconstitutional and has threatened to withdraw itself completely from the political process in Baghdad if it remains in place.
The court ruling is a result of a complaint by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the KDP’s chief rival. The PUK, and other parties, claim the KDP manipulates the minorities quota to maintain its domination in elections. Notably, the PUK complaint had sought to distribute the minority seats more fairly.
The PUK, and other opposition parties, demand that elections should take place as planned.
However, in an opinion piece for Medya News earlier this year, veteran journalist Fréderike Geerdink surmised that the KDP’s election boycott may be in line with the agenda of the Turkish state. The KDP has been criticised by for increasingly close ties with Turkey’s ruling alliance.
KDP has repeatedly taken issue with the Iraqi Supreme Court, challenging its jurisdiction since a February 2022 ruling threatened the KDP’s agreements on oil and gas.
Meanwhile, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia Al-Sudani announced “progress” in an investigation into the recent attack on the Khor Mor gas field. The announcement was made at a meeting of the State Administration Coalition, attended by Prime Minister Al-Sudani, Kurdish President Nechirvan Barzani.
The drone attack on the Khor Mor Gas field in Sulaymaniyah district killed four Yemeni migrant workers. Khor Mor is one of Iraq’s largest gas fields, and Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid said that the attack had affected the country’s electricity supply.
No-one has taken responsibility for the attack. Al-Sudani announced the discovery of leads to those responsible and assured that legal actions would be taken against the perpetrators once the investigation concludes.
Khor Mor was attacked several times in 2022 and 2023.
The meeting also discussed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s recent visit to Baghdad and Erbil. During the official visit, Turkey was given the greenlight to attack Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) positions in Iraqi Kurdistan, and military coordination between Iraqi and Turkish forces was agreed upon.
