Kurdistan elections expected to include minority quota: UNAMI chief

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region’s long-overdue legislative elections are expected to be delayed for no more than four months with the restoration of minority quota, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) chief said on Thursday.

“Inclusive, transparent and credible Kurdistan Regional elections are desperately needed. It is hoped (or better: it is expected) that the vote will take place with as minimal a delay as possible, in any case not later than four months from now, and with a minority quota,” Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert said when virtually briefing the UN Security Council on Thursday.

Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary elections were initially scheduled for October 2022 but disputes between the political parties and legal issues have caused several delays. The polls are set for June 10 but the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party’s (KDP) decision to boycott the process due to its concerns over new rules imposed by Baghdad, including the annihilation of quota seats previously allocated for Christians, Turkmens and Armenians and the division of the Region into several constituencies. 

Holding elections in Erbil and Duhok provinces, controlled by the KDP, is almost impossible, pundits say.

Despite KDP's decision not to take part in the elections, the majority of the Kurdistan Region’s political parties, including the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the power-sharer in government, have insisted that the polls should be held on time. 

Several Christian and Turkmen political parties have also boycotted the process, calling for the restoration of the 11 quota seats. The Kurdish legislature was made up of 111 seats but when the Iraqi Federal Supreme Court introduced new rules regarding the elections in February it reduced the number to 100.

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani has visited Baghdad several times in recent months, pushing for the restoration of quota seats. Minorities have commended Barzani for his efforts. 

The Iraqi High Electoral Commission (IHEC) last week temporarily suspended the preparations for Kurdistan Region’s elections pending a ruling on a lawsuit filed by the Region’s Prime Minister Masrour Barzani against the division of seats for the constituencies.

 
‘Iraq on the rise’


“We are, so to speak, witnessing an Iraq on the rise. Particularly in the areas of service provision and construction,” UNAMI chief said during her Thursday briefing. 

Recovering from years of fighting against the Islamic State (ISIS), Iraq has launched a campaign to rebuild the country and boost its economy, especially in war-torn cities. 

However, she warned that corruption and other pressing issues remain in the country.

“Corruption, factionalism, impunity, undue interference and armed actors operating outside state control – while the GoI is tackling these scourges, they still represent major hurdles to be overcome,” she stated. 

“Dealing with the legacy of the past and the many challenges of the present will take time. But Iraq’s horizon is replete with opportunities. And the country is also teeming with people who are ready and willing to seize them,” Hennis-Plasschaert noted. 

Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani has requested UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to permanently end the mandate of the UNAMI by the end of 2025.

In May 2023, members of the UN Security Council unanimously extended the mandate of UNAMI until May 31, 2024. The UNSC has yet to discuss extending the mandate for another year.

Hennis-Plasschaert will step down at the end of May.

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