Iraq
KDP President Masoud Barzani receives Khamis al-Khanjar, head of the Sovereignty Alliance, in Erbil on August 11, 2022. Photo: Barzani's office
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The leader of a prominent Iraqi Sunni party on Tuesday said the potential withdrawal of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) from the Iraqi government endangers the future of all of Iraq, after the Kurdish party said it will not participate in Kurdistan Region elections and threatened to quit the political process.
The KDP on Monday announced that it would not take part in the Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary elections on June 10, labeling the elections “illegal” and “unconstitutional” after a landmark Iraqi Federal Supreme Court ruling eliminated the legislature’s minority quota seats.
“The brothers in the Kurdistan Democratic Party going towards boycotting the local elections in the [Kurdistan] Region and threatening to leave the political process puts the future of the entire country in danger,” said Khamis al-Khanjar, leader of the Sunni Sovereignty party.
While labeling the KDP as a “fundamental pillar of political life in Iraq,” Khanjar called for dialogue between Baghdad and Erbil to resolve the political issues that emerged from the February federal court ruling.
In its Monday statement, the KDP also threatened that it would not be able to continue in the political process in Baghdad if the State Administration Coalition - which formed the Iraqi government in October 2022 - does not uphold its “national responsibilities” to implement the Iraqi constitution and meet the political and administrative agreements of forming the current Iraqi government, headed by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani.
Rudaw has learnt that a KDP politburo delegation is set to visit Baghdad to discuss the contents of its statement with Iraqi political forces and to “insist” that it will withdraw from the Iraqi political process if the constitution and political agreements are not implemented.
The United States told Rudaw that it was concerned about the KDP’s decision to boycott the Kurdistan Region’s long-overdue elections after the announcement was made.
“We are concerned by the KDP’s announcement. Our consistent position has been to support the conduct of and the full participation in free, fair, transparent, and credible elections,” said US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel, adding that Washington does not believe a boycott would serve the Kurdistan Region and Iraq’s interests.
Despite the KDP’s boycott, the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) still plans to go ahead with the vote on June 10, according to Imad Jamil, the head of the electoral body’s media team.
The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) – the KDP’s main rival – announced it is “committed” to the Region’s parliamentary elections despite the KDP’s boycott.
“The PUK believes that holding the Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary elections is the best way to further deepen democracy and move past the current complicated situation domestically and in the region in general,” PUK spokesperson Saadi Pira said in a statement.
The KDP has been repeatedly accused by rival parties of using the minority seats for its own advantage.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani earlier this month announced that the new date for the elections was June 10, after more than a year and a half delay.
The election was initially scheduled for October 2022, but was repeatedly postponed because of disagreements between the political parties and pending court cases in Baghdad.
The KDP on Monday announced that it would not take part in the Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary elections on June 10, labeling the elections “illegal” and “unconstitutional” after a landmark Iraqi Federal Supreme Court ruling eliminated the legislature’s minority quota seats.
“The brothers in the Kurdistan Democratic Party going towards boycotting the local elections in the [Kurdistan] Region and threatening to leave the political process puts the future of the entire country in danger,” said Khamis al-Khanjar, leader of the Sunni Sovereignty party.
While labeling the KDP as a “fundamental pillar of political life in Iraq,” Khanjar called for dialogue between Baghdad and Erbil to resolve the political issues that emerged from the February federal court ruling.
In its Monday statement, the KDP also threatened that it would not be able to continue in the political process in Baghdad if the State Administration Coalition - which formed the Iraqi government in October 2022 - does not uphold its “national responsibilities” to implement the Iraqi constitution and meet the political and administrative agreements of forming the current Iraqi government, headed by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani.
Rudaw has learnt that a KDP politburo delegation is set to visit Baghdad to discuss the contents of its statement with Iraqi political forces and to “insist” that it will withdraw from the Iraqi political process if the constitution and political agreements are not implemented.
The United States told Rudaw that it was concerned about the KDP’s decision to boycott the Kurdistan Region’s long-overdue elections after the announcement was made.
“We are concerned by the KDP’s announcement. Our consistent position has been to support the conduct of and the full participation in free, fair, transparent, and credible elections,” said US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel, adding that Washington does not believe a boycott would serve the Kurdistan Region and Iraq’s interests.
Despite the KDP’s boycott, the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) still plans to go ahead with the vote on June 10, according to Imad Jamil, the head of the electoral body’s media team.
The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) – the KDP’s main rival – announced it is “committed” to the Region’s parliamentary elections despite the KDP’s boycott.
“The PUK believes that holding the Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary elections is the best way to further deepen democracy and move past the current complicated situation domestically and in the region in general,” PUK spokesperson Saadi Pira said in a statement.
The KDP has been repeatedly accused by rival parties of using the minority seats for its own advantage.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani earlier this month announced that the new date for the elections was June 10, after more than a year and a half delay.
The election was initially scheduled for October 2022, but was repeatedly postponed because of disagreements between the political parties and pending court cases in Baghdad.
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