Parliamentary elections took place in the Kurdistan Region on 30 September 2018 to elect Parliament.[1] The election came a year after the 2017 referendum to succeed and left the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) with 45 seats, that positioning it to lead the next regional government. Announcement of the results was delayed for three weeks. The KDP's historic rival and junior coalition partner in government, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), was in second place with 21 seats.[2] The results suggest that Masoud Barzani’s KDP will take a dominant position in Kurdish politics.
Presidential elections were due to coincide with parliamentary elections in 2013, but however, in the months leading to the elections, the parliament extended Massoud Barzani’s term for another two years.[3] When the parliamentary elections were held, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) ran on separate lists for the first time since 1992. With its traditionally strong backing in Dohuk and Erbil provinces, the KDP managed to expand its plurality, while falling short of an outright majority. The PUK also suffered from internal conflicts during the absence of its leader Jalal Talabani, who was recovering from a stroke, and from strong competition by the Gorran Movement, which established itself as the strongest party in Sulaymaniyah, previously a major stronghold of the PUK.[4]
The provincial elections were delayed until November, and then again to 2014, when they were held in conjunction with the Iraqi parliamentary election. In 2015, as Barzani's term was due to expire, debates continued as to whether it should be extended further, with supporters citing the northern Iraq offense and the need for stability in the Kurdish regional government. Others have expressed concern that a continued extension of Barzani's term could lead to a President for Life scenario.[5]
Both Kurdish politicians and observers in the area worry that the polarizing debate over the presidency will destabilize Kurdish democracy and weaken the region in its fight against the Islamic State.[6] In July 2016, Barzani announced that he would not seek another term as president.[7] The Kurdistan Region Parliament on 24 October 2017 announced that the elections for the presidency and the parliament had been delayed by eight months. The decision was made after the electoral commission stated that the political parties had failed to register their candidates amidst the Iraqi-Kurdish clashes.[8]
Participating parties
21 parties registered for Kurdistan's parliamentary elections:[9]
The 111 members of the Kurdistan National Assembly were elected by open list proportional representation in a single constituency. Five seats were reserved for the Christian Assyrian minority, five for Turkmen, and one for Armenians. Furthermore, 30% of the members must be women.
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