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Iraq
An Iraqi woman updates her voter registration at the Independent High Electoral Commission Center in the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah in the Dhi Qar province on January 12, 2021. Photo: Asaad Niazi / AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Over a dozen Kurdish parties in Kirkuk agreed at a meeting on Saturday to enter Iraq’s upcoming parliamentary elections as a single list, according to several politicians involved in the initiative.
“The meeting consisted of 13 parties and was not attended by the KDP,” Rebaz Sabir, member of Kurdistan Islamic Group (Komal) told Rudaw English on Sunday, referring to the Kurdistan Democratic Party.
“We have fundamentally agreed on entering the election as one list, however, the technicalities on how we will arrange the list, and who will run will have to be decided on later on, because it requires more discussion and other procedures.”
“The KDP did not attend the meeting, because they are awaiting a decision from the party’s politburo,” Sabir added. “There will be more meetings, as we are all trying create a strong united Kurdish party.”
Muhammad Khorshid, head of the KDP office in Kirkuk, confirmed that they did not attend the meeting because they were awaiting a decision from the party’s leadership.
“We support the other parties’ decision to run as one list if it comes to it, but as of this moment, we have not decided whether we will join or not, as we are waiting on [a decision from] the party’s politburo,” Khorshid said.
The idea of running as a united front was welcomed by several current Kurdish MPs in Baghdad.
“We as the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) support any attempt at uniting the Kurdish parties in all disputed regions. It would greatly serve the Kurds in parliament,” Iraqi MP for Kirkuk Rebwar Taha told Rudaw English on Sunday.
“This decision will be essential in keeping the unity of Kurds and we fully support it,” Almas Fazel, another PUK MP, told Rudaw English.
Among the parties that attended the meeting were the PUK, Gorran, Komal, the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) and Kurdistan Islamic Movement (KIM).
Iraq's Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi announced last July that parliamentary elections would take place on June 6, 2021, a year earlier than scheduled. He was reacting to a call from protesters who staged months of demonstrations in central and southern Iraq, beginning in October 2019, demanding basic services and an end to corruption.
However, Iraq's electoral commission sent a letter to the Iraqi government on Sunday, suggesting the postponement of the upcoming parliamentary elections to October 16, 2021, according to the document published on state media
The spokesperson for Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) told Rudaw English on Friday that holding elections in June may not be realistic. Only a fraction of eligible voters have updated their electoral records and most of the political entities have not registered yet, Jumana Alghalai said, a day ahead of a registration deadline.
Early elections have wide support among the political parties. All parties in the parliament agree that early elections should be held this year, Sabah Talubi, a member of the Sairoon Alliance – the parliament’s biggest political bloc, led by Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr – told state media on January 8.
However, as the date comes closer, some MPs have shown their concern as to whether or not the country will be ready for the election on time.
Qasim Fahdawi, the country’s former electricity minister and an MP from the Iraqi Front, a Sunni party in the Iraqi parliament, accused politicians part of larger blocs of deception in their talk of an election in the near future.
“There haven’t been any preparations for the election set for June. Unfortunately, nobody is talking about it frankly. All the parties are lying,” Fahdawi told Rudaw’s Halkawt Aziz on Saturday.
“The meeting consisted of 13 parties and was not attended by the KDP,” Rebaz Sabir, member of Kurdistan Islamic Group (Komal) told Rudaw English on Sunday, referring to the Kurdistan Democratic Party.
“We have fundamentally agreed on entering the election as one list, however, the technicalities on how we will arrange the list, and who will run will have to be decided on later on, because it requires more discussion and other procedures.”
“The KDP did not attend the meeting, because they are awaiting a decision from the party’s politburo,” Sabir added. “There will be more meetings, as we are all trying create a strong united Kurdish party.”
Muhammad Khorshid, head of the KDP office in Kirkuk, confirmed that they did not attend the meeting because they were awaiting a decision from the party’s leadership.
“We support the other parties’ decision to run as one list if it comes to it, but as of this moment, we have not decided whether we will join or not, as we are waiting on [a decision from] the party’s politburo,” Khorshid said.
The idea of running as a united front was welcomed by several current Kurdish MPs in Baghdad.
“We as the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) support any attempt at uniting the Kurdish parties in all disputed regions. It would greatly serve the Kurds in parliament,” Iraqi MP for Kirkuk Rebwar Taha told Rudaw English on Sunday.
“This decision will be essential in keeping the unity of Kurds and we fully support it,” Almas Fazel, another PUK MP, told Rudaw English.
Among the parties that attended the meeting were the PUK, Gorran, Komal, the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) and Kurdistan Islamic Movement (KIM).
Iraq's Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi announced last July that parliamentary elections would take place on June 6, 2021, a year earlier than scheduled. He was reacting to a call from protesters who staged months of demonstrations in central and southern Iraq, beginning in October 2019, demanding basic services and an end to corruption.
However, Iraq's electoral commission sent a letter to the Iraqi government on Sunday, suggesting the postponement of the upcoming parliamentary elections to October 16, 2021, according to the document published on state media
The spokesperson for Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) told Rudaw English on Friday that holding elections in June may not be realistic. Only a fraction of eligible voters have updated their electoral records and most of the political entities have not registered yet, Jumana Alghalai said, a day ahead of a registration deadline.
Early elections have wide support among the political parties. All parties in the parliament agree that early elections should be held this year, Sabah Talubi, a member of the Sairoon Alliance – the parliament’s biggest political bloc, led by Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr – told state media on January 8.
However, as the date comes closer, some MPs have shown their concern as to whether or not the country will be ready for the election on time.
Qasim Fahdawi, the country’s former electricity minister and an MP from the Iraqi Front, a Sunni party in the Iraqi parliament, accused politicians part of larger blocs of deception in their talk of an election in the near future.
“There haven’t been any preparations for the election set for June. Unfortunately, nobody is talking about it frankly. All the parties are lying,” Fahdawi told Rudaw’s Halkawt Aziz on Saturday.
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