ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Results from the Kurdistan Region’s September 30 parliamentary election have been approved by the Judicial Council, clearing the way for the winning parties to begin government formation talks.

“Today, the Kurdistan Region Judicial Council approved the Kurdistan parliament’s election results as it is,” said Jutiar Adil, a member of the election commissioners’ council.

The election commission published official results on October 20 after investigating several complaints and allegations of fraud.

The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) won 688,070 votes, giving it a big lead over its nearest rivals, securing 45 seats in the 111-seat parliament – but 12 seats shy of an outright majority. The party will therefore need to enter a coalition agreement to form a government.

The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) came in at a distant second with 319,219 votes, securing 21 seats. This marks an improvement on its 2013 result of 18 seats.

The Change Movement (Gorran) was pushed into third place with 186,903 votes, securing just 12 seats – down from 24 in the last parliament.

New Generation got 127,115 votes, securing eight seats, Komal seven seats, and the leftist Modern coalition one seat.

In a sign of continued decline, the joint Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU)-Islamic Movement of Kurdistan (IMK) Reform List won five seats. When the KIU ran alone in 2013, it secured 10.

The Communist Party, as part of the Azadi List, secured one seat, while the Coalition for Democracy and Justice (CDJ), which officially boycotted the election, failed to secure a seat.

Of the 11 seats reserved for the Kurdistan Region's minority groups, the Turkmen secured five, the Christians five, and the Armenians one. No seats are reserved for the Yezidis.

Rudaw