“We came here upon orders of the Kurdistan Region Presidency and we will visit all the political parties to exchange opinions on how the Kurdistan Region Presidency can help in preparing for holding elections,” Dlshad Shahab, senior advisor to the Kurdistan Region presidency told reporters following the meeting.
The delegation from the Presidency’s office is set to meet with all the political parties in the Kurdistan Region over the following days to discuss the region’s upcoming elections.
“We have an initial understanding that there should be a consensus regarding the elections,” Kardo Mohammed, head of Gorran’s parliamentary affairs told reporters. “Gorran finds it important that election is held on time, but the law has to serve in strengthening the parliament.”
Several parties in the parliament have previously called for an amendment to the region’s electoral laws, asking that the region be divided into several electoral constituencies, however the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) has on several occasions said that there is no need for an amendment.
A delegation from the KDP in January met with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) to discuss the same matter.
“The two sides agreed that Kurdistan’s parliamentary elections should be held on time, national preparations should be made, and that there should be a common understanding of the legal and political mechanism for holding the elections,” read a joint statement published by PUK Media following the meeting.
Parliamentary elections are held at least every four years, according to Article 8 of the Kurdistan Electoral Law.
The Kurdistan Region held its fifth parliamentary elections for the 111-seat legislature on September 30, 2018. Over one million people participated in the vote, recording a turnout of 59 percent.
The KDP was the kingmaker of the vote, gaining over six hundred thousand votes and securing 45 seats.
A minimum quota of 30 percent of the parliamentary seats are reserved for female MPs, while 11 seats are allocated for parties that represent minorities.
