Kurdistan's Electoral Campaign Kicks Off: PUK Aims for Governance Reform

PUKMEDIA

PUK logo & Kurdistan Parliament Building

The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) is campaigning to rectify the course of governance and to put an end to discrimination in service provision during the Kurdistan parliamentary elections.

Today, September 25, 2024, the Kurdistan Region enters the election campaign phase for the Kurdistan parliamentary elections. Despite attempts by specific parties to postpone the elections, the determination of the PUK resulted in the elections proceeding on the date provided within the 5th decree of the Kurdistan Region's Presidency. Furthermore, the PUK has made all necessary preparations for taking part in the elections.

According to the PUK Elections Bureau's statistics, the PUK has 172 candidates for the sixth term of the Kurdistan parliamentary elections, including 72 in Sulaymaniyah, 64 in Erbil, 30 in Duhok, and 6 in Halabja. Over 36% of the PUK's candidates are women.
 
The sixth term of the Kurdistan parliamentary elections is set to take place on 20 October 2024. The PUK is fully prepared for the election and seeks to address the issues of poor governance in the Kurdistan Region through this democratic process, with the aim of establishing a service-oriented government.

The Kurdistan parliamentary elections have not taken place for six years. It has been two years since their legally scheduled date, during which the PUK has consistently opposed any further postponement. The President of the Kurdistan Region previously issued four decrees regarding the sixth term of the parliamentary elections, which were published in the official gazette. However, attempts by certain parties have continually delayed the elections.

The Kurdistan Parliament previously comprised 111 seats, including 11 designated for minority communities. However, none of these 11 seats were genuine representatives of the minorities; instead, they served the interests of specific parties.

The Iraqi Federal Court has revoked the previous electoral law of the Kurdistan Parliament and mandated a reduction in its seats from 111 to 100, with 5 allocated for minority communities. Additionally, the Kurdistan Region has been divided into four electoral constituencies: Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Duhok, and Halabja. The seats for minority communities will also be distributed across these four districts, ensuring that all provinces in the Kurdistan Region can send their genuine representatives to the parliament.

Furthermore, the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) was ordered to oversee the Kurdistan parliamentary elections in compliance with the new Electoral Law approved by the Judiciary. Furthermore, The Kurdistan parliamentary elections will be conducted in accordance with the IHEC's voter registration list.



PUKMEDIA