Andrew Bizley told Rudaw's Hayder Doski on Thursday that the October 20 vote was “a good success,” adding that the 72 percent turnout “was a really strong message from the people in their desire to renew the democratic legitimacy of the KRI [Kurdistan Region of Iraq] institutions.”
Formal talks over the formation of a new Kurdistan Region Government (KRG) cabinet have yet to begin.
“And, of course, as I speak to people, they are really keen to get a government in place really quickly. So, that is a message that I am giving and my ambassador is giving to our friends in the government here and to the different political parties,” noted the British diplomat.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Wednesday paid separate visits to the winning parties in the Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary elections and urged to expedite talks to form the new cabinet.
The vote resulted in a consolidation of power for the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which won 39 seats from the 100-spot legislature, followed by its government ally but political rival the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) with 32 seats, and the opposition New Generation Movement with 15 seats scoring third place.
Several smaller parties have already declared that they are not willing to join the new cabinet. Some others have challenged the results, claiming that the vote was rigged.
