Kurdistan
The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) launhces its campaign at an event at Sulaimani Stadium on September 29, 2024. Photo: PUK Media
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the party with the second-most seats in the Kurdistan Region’s last election, launched its parliamentary campaign on Sunday, led by Bafel Talabani, who promised to end “corrupt authority.”
Talabani, speaking from Sulaimani Stadium, began by saying that his party’s message is to change the nature of the leadership.
“Our message is that in this election, with the support of God, with the support of the people of Kurdistan…” Talabani said, “we will destroy it,” referring to “corrupt authority.”
Official campaigning began on Wednesday and continues until October 15. The election is set to be held on October 20.
According to Talabani, the PUK has lacked unified leadership since the death of Jalal Talabani in 2017 and the health of senior party members has left a lack of political cohesion.
Talabani acknowledged that the party has had its struggles, but no longer.
Bafel Talabani and Lahur Talabany were elected as co-chairs of the PUK in February 2020, following years of wrangling over who would succeed Jalal Talabani.
Their internal issues surfaced in 2021 when Bafel Talabani changed the leadership of the party’s intelligence agency and counter-terrosim units, who were affiliated with Lahur Talabany, replacing them with people loyal to himself. Lahur Talabany was effectively ousted from power and has struggled to re-enter the political fray.
Bafel Talabani said the PUK is united now and focused his speech on challenging the ruling KDP.
Talabani emphasized the sacrifices of the Kurdish people and their fight against oppression for decades. He noted that their rival, the KDP, also has many martyrs.
Talabani said Kurdistan is rich with natural resources and human resources, but the government has failed to provide satisfactory services.
He said that their rivals are also struggling with disunity now.
Talabani criticized the election laws, stating they were designed to benefit a specific party, but noted that they have been altered.
Two politicians from the PUK and a Christian party in Sulaimani filed lawsuits challenging the Kurdistan Region’s election law concerning minority quota seats and the division of electoral constituencies.
In February, Iraq’s federal court ruled that Article 9, which designated the Kurdistan Region as a single electoral constituency, was "unconstitutional," resulting in the division of the region into four constituencies.
Additionally, a Baghdad decision in May reduced the Kurdistan Region’s parliament seats from 111 to 100, lowering the minority quota seats from 11 to five.
Talabani urged the people of Kurdistan to go to polling stations and vote for his party.
The PUK was founded in 1975 after breaking away from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). The two parties fought a long civil war in the 1990s before agreeing to share power in a united administration. They however both retain their own Peshmerga units and geographical areas of influence.
KDP leader Masoud Barzani launched the party’s election campaign in Erbil on Wednesday, calling for civil and respectful elections. Barzani expressed hope that the vote would create greater unity in the Kurdistan Region and lead to improved services for its people. He reiterated the unity of the KDP, emphasizing the party's commitment to the region.
The Kurdistan Region last held elections in 2018. The upcoming elections, initially scheduled for 2022, have been delayed several times.
The electoral process has been mired in challenges, with interference from Baghdad exacerbating tensions between the Kurdistan Region’s political parties, particularly between the two parties.
Nearly 2.9 million people are eligible to vote, including around 215,000 early voters. There will be 1,400 polling stations, including locations in disputed areas and most Iraqi provinces, for eligible voters.
In the 2018 elections, KDP won 45 seats, the PUK secured 21, while the Change Movement (Gorran) took 12 seats, and smaller parties won less than ten seats.
Of the 11 minority seats in the Kurdistan Region's parliament, Turkmen candidates won five, Christians also secured five, and Armenians took one.
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