“We decreed calling the elected candidates of the sixth term of Iraqi Kurdistan parliament to hold the first parliamentary session on December 2, 2024, at 11 am,” said Kurdistan Region Presidency spokesperson Dilshad Shahab, reading President Barzani’s decree during a press conference in Erbil.
The decision comes two days after Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) approved results of the Kurdistan Region’s legislative elections.
Monday’s session will be the first parliamentary session since May 2023. Days later, Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court overturned the Kurdistan Region’s parliament decision to extend its term by an additional year, effectively dissolving the legislature.
The oldest member of the legislature will lead the first session and newly-elected lawmakers will be sworn in.
The October 20 vote resulted in a consolidation of power for the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which won 39 seats, followed by its government ally but political rival the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) with 32 seats. The opposition New Generation Movement took third place with 15 seats.
Opposition parties Komal, the Kurdistan Islamic Union, Baray Gal, and Halwest have denounced the election results. They alleged fraud and voter manipulation and questioned the reliability of the voting machines.
