The Kurdistan Region Parliament building, located in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region
Thirty-three years pass since first parliamentary elections in Kurdistan Region
ERBIL —Thirty-three years have passed since the Kurdistan Region held its first parliamentary elections on May 19, 1992, beginning a new phase of political life following the 1991 uprising against the Baath regime.
The landmark vote was held for 105 seats in the newly established parliament — 100 for general representation and five reserved for minority communities.
Under the rules of that inaugural election, political parties were required to secure at least 7% of the vote to enter parliament. Voter turnout reached 87.4%, with 971,953 of the 1.112 million eligible voters casting ballots.
The Kurdistan Democratic Party won 51 seats, while the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan won 49. Following a power-sharing agreement, the KDP transferred one seat to the PUK, granting each party 50 seats and enabling joint administration of the region.
Jawhar Namiq was elected the first speaker of parliament on June 4, 1992. Fuad Masum was appointed the first prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government.
Since then, six parliamentary elections have been held, the most recent on Oct. 20, 2024.
