Jump to content

2018 Kurdistan Region parliamentary election

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Hibernian (talk | contribs) at 20:55, 3 June 2018. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Iraqi Kurdistan general election, 2018
← 2013 30 September 2018
Total of 111 seats of the Kurdistan National Assembly
56 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Nechirvan Barzani Omar Said Ali Kosrat Rasul Ali
Party KDP Gorran PUK
Last election 38 24 18
Prime Minister before election

Nechirvan Barzani
KDP

Elected Prime Minister

TBD

Politics of Kurdistan Region
National symbols
Referendums
Government
Parliament
Recent elections
Political parties
Administrative divisions
Foreign relations

General elections are scheduled to take place in Iraqi Kurdistan on 30 September 2018 to elect both the President and Parliament.[1] They were earlier scheduled for 1 November 2017, but were postponed by eight months.[2]

Background

Following the end of the Gulf War in 1991, a civil war, mainly between the Erbil and Dohuk-based Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Sulaymaniyah-based Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) led to the establishment of two separate Kurdish regional governments. Following the reconciliation and a power-sharing agreement between KDP and PUK, and Parliamentary elections in 2005, a unified Kurdistan Regional Government was created. The joint KDP–PUK faction Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan assumed power and formed a government that was headed by Nechervan Barzani (KDP; 2006–09) and Barham Salih (PUK; 2009–12).

When former PUK official Nawshirwan Mustafa broke away to form the new Movement for Change (Gorran) party, the new party primarily hurt PUK's electoral support in the 2009 parliamentary elections. The KDP–PUK alliance, now renamed Kurdistan List, formed a new government headed by Nechervan Barzani.

Presidential elections were due to coincide with parliamentary elections in 2013. 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. PUK suffered from internal conflicts during the absence of its leader Jalal Talabani, who was recovering from a stroke, and from strong competition by the Movement for Change (Gorran), which established itself as the strongest party in Sulaymaniyah, previously a major stronghold of 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 Kurdish fight against ISIS 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 Iraqi Kurdistan 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 regional crisis.[2]

Parties Participating In Election

21 parties registered for Kurdistan's parliamentary elections:[8]

1. Coalition for Democracy and Justice (Barham Salih)

2. Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP)

3. Turkmen Development Party

4. Turkmen Democratic Movement in Kurdistan

5. Change Movement (Gorran)

6. Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU)

7. Bet-Nahrain Democratic Party

8. Individual Armenian Political Entity (Aram Birzo Hamo)

9. Individual Armenian Political Entity (Obar Sipan Gharib)

10. Turkmen Reform Party

11. Kurdistan Islamic Group (Komal)

12. Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK)

13. Yezidi Democratic Party

14. Kurdistan Toilers Party

15. Kurdistan Socialist Democratic Party

16. Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Popular Council

17. Kurdistan Communist Party

18. New Generation List

19. Kurdistan Conservative Party

20. Assyrian Patriotic Party

21. Kurdistan Workers and Toilers Party


Electoral system

References

  1. ^ "Iraq's Kurdistan region to hold elections on Sept. 30". Reuters. 8 May 2018. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Iraqi Kurdistan parliament delays presidential elections by eight months". Reuters. 24 October 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  3. ^ Zebari, Abdel Hamid (July 11, 2013). "Iraqi Kurdish Parties Dispute Law Extending Barzani Presidency". Al Monitor. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
  4. ^ "Iraq Election Watch: KRG Parliamentary Elections" (PDF). National Democratic Institute. 19 November 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  5. ^ Salih, Mohammed A. (May 22, 2015). "Fate of Kurdish presidency divides Iraqi Kurds". Al Monitor. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
  6. ^ Salih, Mohammed A. (18 August 2015). "Iraqi Kurds in limbo over president's fate". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
  7. ^ "Barzani: I will not stand in next presidential elections". Rudaw Media Network. 14 July 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  8. ^ http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/280920173
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2018_Kurdistan_Region_parliamentary_election&oldid=844270989"