Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) has called for the upcoming parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) on 20 October to be held in a transparent and democratic manner, emphasising the need for fairness amid regional challenges. The elections, originally scheduled for 2022, have been postponed for over two years.
The KNK highlighted the critical context of the elections, pointing to the Iraqi government’s alliances with neighbouring states, which they claim aim to undermine Kurdish achievements, and the ongoing Turkish military invasion of Iraqi Kurdistan. These factors, the KNK warned in a press release on Monday, could threaten the integrity of the electoral process.
In its statement, the KNK underscored the unique significance of this election, stating, “There has never been a more tense and crisis-ridden period in terms of parliamentary elections in the last 33 years of the South Kurdish [KRI] region.”
Detailing the current state of affairs in the KRI, the KNK cited “contradictions and chaos between political sides on an internal level,” alongside issues such as a financial crisis, lack of public services, high unemployment, “an ignorant government”, mounting debts, restricted freedoms, and the arrest and silencing of journalists.
The KNK also criticised the central Iraqi government’s stance towards the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), describing it as “not only hostile, but perhaps aimed at weakening the region’s status, destroying it, creating further problems, and eroding its gains”. The group linked this attitude to the aftermath of the 2017 independence referendum, after which the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) ceded significant KRI territory to Baghdad.
The statement also accused the Iraqi government of conspiring with regional powers, particularly Turkey, to erode Kurdish advancements. It cited recent agreements between Iraq and Turkey, and ongoing Turkish attacks in Iraqi Kurdistan, which the KNK said are being largely ignored by Baghdad.
“Attacks and occupations continue with dozens of military units and all kinds of light and heavy weapons, including internationally banned weapons. [Turkey] built dozens of intelligence bases, political, economic, and cultural institutions in the region and has occupied a large part of the Behdinan region,” the statement read.
After outlining the political atmosphere surrounding the elections, the KNK demanded that the process be carried out “in a peaceful, democratic and civilised atmosphere and without interference and free from fraud in every respect.” They emphasised the need for “a transparent election in which the people of South Kurdistan can vote freely”.
The KNK also called on voters to support candidates who will protect Kurdish interests and rights by establishing an effective government that responds to their demands. “A democratic government must come to power according to the election results,” the KNK stated, stressing the importance of all parties accepting the election outcome.
