The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) has announced its intention to participate in the upcoming Kurdistan parliamentary elections. Ari Harsin, head of the party’s fourth branch in Sulaimani, confirmed the decision during a news conference on Sunday.

"Yes, we will participate in the elections," Harsin stated. He noted that while the KDP has consistently been prepared for the elections, there were initial concerns about the election mechanisms. "With the changes that have taken place now, yes we will participate in the elections," he added.

In a letter addressed to Fawzi Hariri, Chief of Staff at the Kurdistan Region Presidency, Judge Omar Ahmad, Chairman of the Iraqi Independent High Election Commission (IHEC), proposed holding the sixth session of the Kurdistan Parliament on September 9, 2024. Kurdistan24 obtained a copy of the letter. The proposal will be reviewed by President Nechirvan Barzani, who will consult with political parties before determining the official election date.

Previously, President Barzani announced that the parliamentary elections would be held on June 10. However, a consensus among political parties has emerged that the elections cannot proceed on the initially scheduled date. The primary reason for the postponement is the decision by the KDP and various ethnic and religious communities within the Kurdistan Region to refrain from participating in the election.

This decision follows a controversial ruling by the Iraq Federal Supreme Court, which annulled the 11 quota seats reserved for these communities in the Kurdistan Region. The court's decision led to an agreement among political parties to delay the election to ensure a fair and transparent process. Concerns about potential manipulation or external interference in the election results have also contributed to the postponement.

In response to complaints filed by the affected communities, the Iraqi Supreme Federal Court (SFC) decided to allocate five of the 100 seats in the KRG parliament to these communities. The distribution of these reserved seats is as follows:

Erbil: Two seats (one for Christians and one for Turkmen)
Sulaimani: Two seats (one for Christians and one for Turkmen)
Duhok: One seat for Armenians

The remaining 95 seats will be allocated as general seats. Additionally, the Iraqi Supreme Court has reduced the total number of seats in the KRG parliament to 100. The IHEC has distributed these seats among the provinces as follows: Erbil (34 seats), Sulaimani (38 seats), Duhok (25 seats), and Halabja (3 seats).

The redistribution of seats and the election delay underscore the ongoing complexities and challenges facing the electoral process in the Kurdistan Region.