Iraq's November elections: 135 candidates contend for Al-Sulaymaniyah’s 18 seats

Shafaq News - Al-Sulaymaniyah

Kurdistan’s al-Sulaymaniyah is set to elect 18 members to Iraq’s parliament on November 11, with multiple parties and independent candidates competing for the provincial seats.

According to official data, a total of 135 candidates from nine political parties and four independents are contesting the seats in Iraq’s 329-member parliament. Of the Kurdistan Region’s 46 seats, five in al-Sulaymaniyah are reserved for women, while none are allocated for ethnic or minority groups.

Shafaq News’ correspondent reported the candidates are divided as follows: Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) 36, Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) 35, National Position Movement (Harakat Al-Mawkif Al-Watani) 16, New Generation Movement (Al-Jeel Al-Jadeed-NGM) 12, People's Front (PFP) 11, Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) 8, Kurdistan Justice Group (KJG) 5, Kurdistan Democratic Socialist Party (KSDP) 4, and Turkmen Front 4, along with four independent candidates.

Across Iraq, 21,404,291 citizens are eligible to vote, including more than 3,068,411 in the Kurdistan Region. Al-Sulaymaniyah accounts for 1,227,489 voters, served by 506 general polling centers with 2,200 stations and 82 special polling centers with 379 stations. No electoral alliances have been announced in the province so far.

Meanwhile, Al-Sulaymaniyah Municipal Council granted candidates and their parties a two-day window to remove campaign posters and displays that violate regulations from key streets, warning that legal measures would follow if the deadline is not met.

Read more: Concerns and boycott: Will the Iraqi November elections proceed on schedule?