Preliminary results indicate ruling parties retain majority in Kurdistan elections as opposition sees gains

ERBIL — Preliminary results from the Kurdistan Region’s sixth parliamentary elections suggest the ruling parties are maintaining their majority, while one opposition party has made significant gains. Voter turnout was higher than in previous elections, with 72% of eligible voters participating.

According to early, unconfirmed results, the Kurdistan Democratic Party, the region’s dominant political force, has secured around 41 of the 95 general seats. This marks a slight decrease compared to the 2018 elections, when it won 45 seats out of 100. The KDP, which formed the outgoing cabinet in coalition with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and the Gorran Movement, dominated in the Erbil and Duhok constituencies.

The seat count for the PUK, the KDP’s primary rival, is expected to remain steady, bringing its total to around 22, mostly from its stronghold in Sulaymaniyah. In the 2018 elections, the PUK won 21 seats.

The New Generation Movement, led by Shaswar Abdulwahid, saw the largest growth among opposition parties, rising from 9 to an expected 16 seats, gaining support across all four constituencies. Notably, it comes second in Duhok, the KDP’s stronghold, overtaking the Kurdistan Islamic Union as the largest opposition party.

Conversely, the Gorran Movement suffered a major loss and may lose all 12 of the seats it won in 2018, though there is hope it may send a solitary MP to Erbil from Sulaymaniyah.

The Kurdistan Islamic Union is projected to increase its seats from five to six, despite losing ground in Duhok.

The Kurdistan Justice Group is anticipated to suffer a significant drop, from seven seats in 2018 to just three or four this election cycle.

Newly founded opposition party Halwest, established by former Gorran MP Ali Hama Salih, is expected to win three to four seats. The People’s Front, led by Lahur Sheikh Jangi, the ousted co-chair of the PUK, is projected to win one or two seats.

The Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission confirmed a 72% voter turnout, with Erbil at 72%, Sulaymaniyah at 65%, Duhok at 78%, and Halabja at 69%. Polling stations closed at 6 p.m. local time, and the vote-counting process is currently underway. Official results are expected within 24 hours.

The election saw a reduction in the Kurdistan Parliament from 111 to 100 seats, following an Iraqi court ruling. Five seats remain reserved for minorities, and 30 seats are designated for women under the region’s gender quota. Out of six million inhabitants, 2.9 million were eligible to vote for 100 parliamentary representatives.

Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani called for the rapid formation of a new government, emphasizing the need for a functioning cabinet to address the region’s pressing needs. “It is crucial to establish a functioning cabinet as quickly as possible to address the pressing needs of the Kurdistan Region,” Barzani said.

Amer Al-Husseini, head of the Iraqi Election Administration, confirmed that no major violations were reported at polling stations. “We have not observed any significant breaches within the polling centers,” Al-Husseini said. He also noted that the memory sticks containing election data will be transported to Baghdad for initial results, with final results to be announced from the Kurdistan Region.