Kurdistan
Lahur Talabany, the People’s Front (Baray Gal) leader, campaigns in Sulaimani on October 15, 2024 ahead of the Kurdistan Region's parliamentary election. Photo: Rudaw/screengrab
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Lahur Talabany, leader of the new People’s Front (Baray Gal), rallied for support on Tuesday in Sulaimani, vowing to make the province more independent and a cultural development hub, while criticizing ruling parties for years of neglect.
"Any force that Sulaimani has supported has succeeded, and any force that Sulaimani has turned its back on has not been able to establish itself," Talabany said during his speech at a party rally, emphasizing the province's influence on the election process.
Early voting is scheduled for Friday and the general election on Sunday.
“Vote for us and make us an effective force in the political process,” the Baray Gal leader urged on Tuesday, which is the final day for official election campaigning, “so we can serve and protect you.”
He pledged to combat corruption and restructure personal taxes in accordance with legal guidelines and the financial capabilities of the people.
Talabany announced plans to develop "the largest theaters and cinemas in the city" along with sports stadiums, a new airport, and to host literary, intellectual, and research conferences.
He committed to decentralizing administrative processes in Sulaimani, eliminating the need for residents to travel to Erbil for bureaucratic tasks.
Talabany also highlighted issues such as illegal land occupation and smuggling. He also said that Sulaimani city's infrastructure has suffered from neglect.
Seven main roads leading to Sulaimani have been under construction for the past decade. Progress has been inconsistent, with some roads nearly completed but stalled for the past two years.
During a debate on Rudaw's Chwar Bazna (Four Constituencies) program on Monday, candidates from various parties exchanged blame for the failure to complete these critical road projects in the province.
Talabany criticized both the ruling Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which have shared power in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
Following years of wrangling over who would succeed the late Jalal Talabani, the former Iraqi president’s son, Bafel Talabani, and cousin Lahur Talabany were elected as the co-chairs of the PUK in February 2020.
Their internal issues surfaced in 2021, when Bafel Talabani changed the leadership of the party’s intelligence agency and counter-terrorism units, which were affiliated with Lahur Talabany, replacing them with people loyal to himself - effectively ousting Lahur Talabany from power. In January, he founded Baray Gal.
On Saturday, he held a rally in Erbil, telling supporters that only his party can “stand against” both the KDP and the PUK.
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