ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Political parties and candidates should run campaigns peacefully and respect women and the symbols of ethnic and religious minorities, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said on Tuesday, hours before the official start of campaigning for the parliamentary vote.
“Tomorrow marks the beginning of the campaign for the sixth parliamentary election of the Kurdistan Region,” Barzani said in a video message.
He called on “all parties to follow the law and guidelines” set by Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC).
Campaigning, according to Barzani, should be conducted “peacefully and graciously, presenting an electoral program that meets the expectations and hopes of the people of the Kurdistan Region.”
Omed Ahmed, IHEC head, has announced official campaigning will begin on Wednesday and continue until October 15. The election is set to be held on October 20.
Respectful campaigning
Barzani also called on everyone to respect all candidates.
“I particularly stress the need to respect the status and dignity of women. Protecting women in general, and their candidacy in the parliamentary election is a key issue for the Kurdistan Region,” he stated.
Rival political parties often have targeted women candidates in previous elections. Women have faced intense personal and professional scrutiny that has included the dissemination of doctored videos. Such tactics aim to publicly shame them, undermine their credibility, and distract from their political messages.
The women’s quota in the 100-seat parliament is 30 percent.
“Let us ensure that the campaign does not create tensions among parties or divide our society,” Barzani said. “It should convey a positive image of the Kurdistan Region, reflecting its rich culture of coexistence, mutual respect, and the diversity of Kurdistan's society and communities.”
Minority groups
Christian, Turkmen, and Armenian parties are vying to secure votes for seats for minority groups.
Eleven seats were allocated for minorities in the last term of the 111-seat Kurdish parliament, but a top federal court decreased the number to five and the total number of seats to 100 earlier this year despite widespread protest by minority groups.
Erbil and Sulaimani provinces are each reserving one seat for its Christian and Turkmen components, while the Christians have one seat in Duhok, the IHEC has detailed.
“The peaceful coexistence of all ethnicities and religions is a strong foundation for the success of the Kurdistan Region,” stressed Barzani. “Together we share the responsibility for the achievements and progress of Kurdistan, and it is our duty to protect this harmony.”
The symbols of all ethnic and religious groups in the Kurdistan Region should be respected during the campaign, according to the president.
“We support the free will of all the communities of the Kurdistan Region. The security forces must ensure the election campaign is conducted peacefully,” Barzani said.
The election
Early voting for security forces and internally displaced persons (IDPs) is set for October 18, while the general vote will take place on October 20.
Nearly 2.9 million people are eligible to vote, including around 215,000 early voters. There will be 1,400 polling stations, including locations in the disputed areas and most Iraqi provinces, for eligible voters.
The electoral process has faced numerous challenges, with interference from Baghdad exacerbating tensions between the Kurdistan Region’s political parties, particularly between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).
The Kurdistan Region last held elections in 2018. The upcoming elections were initially scheduled for 2022, but have been delayed several times.
“The prestige and strength of Kurdistan Region and the renewal of legitimacy of our institutions depend on conducting a fair and free election. For this reason, our friends and partners are monitoring the process in all areas, and we must all work together to ensure its success,” Barzani said in his message.
