Analysing the political situation after the parliamentary election in Iraq, Kurdish journalist Necmettin Salaz said the results would not bring stability to Iraq or to Iraqi Kurdistan, both because of the record low turnout, indicating a popular boycotting of it, and due to the fact that a government could be formed only after fierce negotiations, since no political party could even get close to securing a majority.
About nine million voters out of the eligible 22.1 million voted in the election, and the Sadrist Movement won with about 22% of the vote while the State of Law Coalition took second place with 11.3% of the vote.
“The people who didn’t vote in the elections make up about 60% of the total, and in some provinces, it even reached 80%,” Salaz said. “It’s an indication that the people, including the Arabs and the Kurds, do not expect anything from the elections anymore.”
Salaz also indicated that the Turkish state would actually have a representation in the Iraqi parliament through the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Turkmens, and that it would object to a candidate of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) being a presidential candidate.
“This time, Turkey will have itself represented in the assembly, through the KDP and Turkmens. We will hear their pro-Turkey voices from time to time,” he said.
“This harbours serious risks for the Kurds and the Arabs. Turkey will object to Berhem Salih or someone else from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan serving as the president. They’ll prefer someone who would be in good relations with Turkey; someone from the Kurdistan Democratic Party or the Sunni Arabs. They have a plan. It looks like the KDP and Turkmens, and probably the New Generation Party, will act in unison.”
