Iraqi PM seeks to Persuade KDP to participate in Kurdistan elections
Shafaq News / On Friday, Sabhan Mula Chyad, the political affairs advisor to Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, revealed the efforts of the latter to dissuade the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) from boycotting the Kurdistan Region's parliamentary elections, emphasizing the importance of the party's participation.
Chyad stated, "Al-Sudani is known for his crisis-solving skills. That is why he is in almost daily contact with the KDP’s leadership to dissuade them from boycotting the Region's parliamentary elections, as this participation holds significant importance, and everyone knows that boycotting could lead to the elections not taking place."
"Al-Sudani enjoys significant political acceptability among all political parties and is capable of resolving many problems. He has succeeded particularly in matters related to the salaries of the Region's employees. Hence, the communication continues with Kurdistan to resolve all issues in the coming period."
He pointed out that "there are positive outcomes to Al-Sudani's movements towards the KDP’s leadership, as they appreciate well the circumstances Iraq is going through and also what Al-Sudani personally faces on various fronts, and they do not hold him responsible for their boycott of the Region's elections."
In March, the KDP declared its decision to boycott the upcoming parliamentary elections in the Region, warning of potential withdrawal from Iraq's political process.
The decision came after the Federal Supreme Court took verdicts regarding the Kurdish elections, including canceling the quota seats, dividing the Kurdish Regions into four constituencies instead of the single-constituency system in previous elections, and Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission to take over from KRG's electoral commission to supervise parliamentary elections.
"We believe that it is in the interest of our people and our country not to comply with an unconstitutional decision and a system imposed from outside the will of the people of Kurdistan and its constitutional institutions and not to participate in elections conducted contrary to the law, the constitution, and under the umbrella of an imposed electoral system." KDP statement said.
Notably, the KDP is a prominent political force in Kurdistan. It is the oldest Kurdish political Party in Iraq.
In the current Kurdish Parliament, the Party holds 45 seats out of 111, followed by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan with 21 seats and the Gorran Movement with 12 seats.