Parliamentary elections took place in the Kurdistan Region on 30 September 2018 to elect Parliament. The election came a year after the 2017 referendum to succeed and left the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) with 45 seats, that positioning it to lead the next regional government. Announcement of the results was delayed for three weeks. The KDP's historic rival and junior coalition partner in government, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), was in second place with 21 seats. The results suggested that Masoud Barzani’s KDP would take a dominant position in Kurdish politics.
Background
Following the end of the Gulf War in 1991, a civil war (mainly between the Erbil and Duhok-based KDP and the Sulaymaniyah-based PUK) led to the establishment of two separate Kurdish regional governments. Following the reconciliation and a power-sharing agreement between the two parties, and Parliamentary elections in 2005, a unified Kurdistan Regional Government was created. The joint KDP–PUK Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan assumed power and formed a government that was headed by Nechervan Barzani (KDP; 2006–09) and Barham Salih (PUK; 2009–12).
When former PUK official Nawshirwan Mustafa broke away to form the new Gorran Movement, the new party primarily damaged the PUK's electoral support in the 2009 general elections. The KDP–PUK alliance, now renamed as the Kurdistan List, formed another government headed by Nechervan Barzani.
Presidential elections were due to coincide with parliamentary elections in 2013, but however, in the months leading to the elections, the parliament extended Massoud Barzani’s term for another two years. When the parliamentary elections were held, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) ran on separate lists for the first time since 1992. With its traditionally strong backing in Duhok and Erbil provinces, the KDP managed to expand its plurality, while falling short of an outright majority. The PUK also suffered from internal conflicts during the absence of its leader Jalal Talabani, who was recovering from a stroke, and from strong competition by the Gorran Movement, which established itself as the strongest party in Sulaymaniyah, previously a major stronghold of the PUK.
The provincial elections were delayed until November, and then again to 2014, when they were held in conjunction with the Iraqi parliamentary election. In 2015, as Barzani's term was due to expire, debates continued as to whether it should be extended further, with supporters citing the northern Iraq offense and the need for stability in the Kurdish regional government. Others have expressed concern that a continued extension of Barzani's term could lead to a President for Life scenario.
Both Kurdish politicians and observers in the area worry that the polarizing debate over the presidency will destabilize Kurdish democracy and weaken the region in its fight against the Islamic State. In July 2016, Barzani announced that he would not seek another term as president. The Kurdistan Region Parliament on 24 October 2017 announced that the elections for the presidency and the parliament had been delayed by eight months. The decision was made after the electoral commission stated that the political parties had failed to register their candidates amidst the Iraqi-Kurdish clashes.
Participating parties 21 parties registered for Kurdistan's parliamentary elections:Rudaw news
Coalition for Democracy and Justice (Barham Salih) Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Turkmen Development Party Turkmen Democratic Movement in Kurdistan Gorran Movement Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) Assyrian Democratic Movement (Zowaa) Bet-Nahrain Democratic Party Individual Armenian Political Entity (Aram Birzo Hamo) Individual Armenian Political Entity (Obar Sipan Gharib) Turkmen Reform Party Kurdistan Islamic Group (Komal) Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Yezidi Democratic Party Kurdistan Toilers' Party Kurdistan Socialist Democratic Party Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Popular Council Communist Party of Kurdistan – Iraq New Generation Movement Conservative Party of Kurdistan Toilers Party of Kurdistan
Electoral system The 111 members of the Kurdistan National Assembly were elected by open list proportional representation in a single constituency. Five seats were reserved for the Christian Assyrian minority, five for Turkmen, and one for Armenians. Furthermore, 30% of the members must be women.
Notable participating parties List No. Party Kurdish name Party leaders 105 Patriotic Union of Kurdistan یەکێتیی نیشتمانیی کوردستانYekêtiy Nîştimaniy Kurdistan Kosrat Rasul Ali 119 Towards Reform بەرەو ئیسڵاح Hevpeymaniya Ber bi Îslah Kurdistan Islamic Union and Kurdistan Islamic Movement 127 Sardam Alliance سەردەمHevpeymaniya Serdem Mohammad Hajji Mahmoud 134 New Generation Movement جوڵانەوەی نەوەی نوێCulanewey Newey Nwê Shaswar Abdulwahid Qadir 148 Gorran Movement گۆڕانBizûtinewey Gorran Omar Said Ali 156 Kurdistan Conservative Party پارتی پارێزگارانی کوردستانPartî Parêzgaranî Kurdistan Zaid Surchi 164 Communist Party of Kurdistan – Iraq (Freedom List) ئازادیPartî Azadî Kamal Shakir 183 Kurdistan Democratic Party پارتی دیموکراتی کوردستانPartî Dîmukratî Kurdistan Massoud Barzani 194 Kurdistan Islamic Group کۆمەڵی ئیسلامی کوردستان-عێراقKomelley Îslamiy Kurdistaê / Îraq Ali Bapir
Results
ResultsRudaw News Political party 2018 2013 Change Votes % Seats Seats Seats +/− Kurdistan Democratic Party 688,070 45 38 7 Patriotic Union of Kurdistan 319,219 21 18 3 Gorran Movement 186,903 12 24 12 New Generation Movement 127,115 8 New 8 Kurdistan Justice Party 109,494 7 6 1 Kurdistan Islamic Union 79,912 5 11 6 Sardam Alliance(coalition consisting the Kurdistan Socialist Democratic Party, Democratic National Union of Kurdistan and Kurdistan Toilers' Party) 15,581 1 2 1 Freedom List (Communist Party of Kurdistan – Iraq) 8,063 1 1 Total 1,559,021 100 100 Turkmen minority reserved seats Turkmen Development List(Turkmen Reform List) 3,318 2 2 Turkmen Reform Party 3,125 1 0 1 Turkmen/Iraqi Turkmen Front 1,545 1 1 Nation List 885 1 Biz Turkmen (Yelderem) 846 0 Erbil Turkmen Coalition 760 0 Erbil Turkmen List 695 0 Turkmen Democratic Movement 298 0 3 Total 11,472 5 5 Assyrian minority reserved seats National Union Coalition 8,088 3 New 3 Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Popular Council 2,963 1 2 1 Assyrian Democratic Movement/Rafidain List 2,626 1 2 1 Democratic Christian List 238 0 New Sons of Mesopotamia(Abna al Nahrain List) 108 0 1 1 Total 14,023 5 5 Armenian minority reserved seat Name Votes (in amount) Votes (in percentage) Seats won (2018) Seats won (2013) Fahik Kamal Saranyan 590 1 0 Berunt Nissan Markos 590 0 1 Aram Bozo Hamo 611 0 0 Adkar Hakob 439 0 0 Morad Mardros Wartan 425 0 0 Nobar Sypar Qarib 290 0 0 Total 2,945 100% 1 1 Overall total (counted) Votes (amount) Votes (percentage) Registered voters Turnout percentage Total seats 1,587,461 100% 3,085,461 51.4% 111
References