Talabani made the comments in a meeting with France’s Consul General to Erbil Yann Braem in Sulaimani. They discussed the latest political developments in the Kurdistan Region, including rifts within the Kurdistan Region, problems between Erbil and Baghdad, and the June 10 election.
“This election will be different and more democratic and everyone will elect their true representatives, which is an important beginning to change the way of governance and strengthen the Kurdistan Region,” Talabani’s office cited him saying during the meeting with Braem.
The June 10 election will be unique in Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary history, with fewer seats in the legislature, a new constituency system, and the poll being administered by the federal commission for the first time due to disagreements between the main Kurdish parties that resulted in a failure to renew the mandate of the regional electoral body as required by law.
Unlike in previous elections, which followed a single constituency system, this vote will see the Kurdistan Region divided into four constituencies - Duhok, Erbil, Sulaimani, and Halabja. The PUK stronghold Sulaimani is the most populous province and it will have the most seats in the parliament, with 38.
The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and PUK are long-time rivals that have a tenuous power-sharing agreement. Relations between them have been rocky for the past two years over a variety of issues, including distribution of funds to provinces and transparency of revenues in their areas of control.
Talabani stated his party’s commitment to permanently resolve these issues, and stressed that all parties need to feel responsible for providing stability for the people.
The ruling parties’ disagreements over the Kurdistan Region’s election law and electoral commission led to the vote being postponed from its initially scheduled date in October 2022.
This vote will also mark the first test for Talabani’s PUK in a regional vote following the removal of former party co-chair Lahur Talabany, who has registered a new party named the People's Front for the upcoming poll.
The PUK was rocked by a power struggle in July 2021 as Bafel Talabani ousted his cousin Lahur Talabany. Bafel Talabani said the shakeup was to end abuse of party positions such as smuggling and extortion. Their dispute escalated when Bafel Talabani decided to change the heads of the PUK’s intelligence agency and counter-terrorism units, who were affiliated with Lahur Talabany, replacing them with people loyal to himself. With his cousin gone, Bafel Talabani assumed the presidency without a co-chair.
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