Kurdistan: Peaceful elections with high participations

Roni Alasor – Erbil – Middle East Diplomatic - 30 October 2024 - The parliamentary elections of the Federal Kurdistan Region took place on October 20, 2024. The elections were held in a peaceful and calm environment, free from violence, despite all internal and external black propaganda, provocations and accusations.

The Kurds of Southern Kurdistan, who turned out for the elections with a rate of 72.6 percent, proved that they are lovers of freedom and democracy. But Kurds also taught a democracy lesson to their anti-democratic neighbouring countries as well as to these who are trying to destroy Kurdistan`s values and achievements.

The results of the elections were announced by the Independent High Election Commission on October 30, 2024.

According to the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) coming out on top securing 39 seats with 812,794 votes in the polls, nearly double its rival, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), with 409,548 votes. PUK won 23 seats.

The rising New Generation Movement, led by a young businessman Shaswar Abdulwahid, won 15 seats and is set as the third-largest party in the Region.

The main Islamist parties - Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) and Kurdistan Justice Group (Komal) - took seven and three seats respectively. The National Stance Movement (Halwest), led by the popular former lawmaker Ali Hama Saleh obtained four.

Lahur Talabany’s People’s Front (Baray Gal) got two seats while the Change Movement (Gorran), once a powerful opposition force took just one seat.

However, islamist Komal, the islamist KIU, Baray Gal, and Halwest denounced the election results, alleging fraud and manipulation, and questioned the reliability of the voting machines. But Judge Omar Ahmed, the head of IHEC during the press conference, underlined that the claims “are all baseless talks.”

The other winners of the elections were ethnical and religious minorities of Kurdistan region, the Chaldean-Syriac Christian communities, along with the Turkmens and Armenians.

Ramy Noori Syawish, the incumbent district mayor of Ankawa, a Christian-majority area near Erbil city, won the race for the Christian quota seat in Erbil.

In Erbil’s Turkmen quota, former deputy Kurdistan parliament speaker Muna Kahveci secured her seat.

Babylon’s candidate Dana Amanj Najeeb claimed the Christian seat in Sulaimani while Najdat Mohammed won the province’s Turkmen seat. The Christian seat in Duhok province was won by James Hassado.