Iraq elections: Islamic Movement of Kurdistan joins growing boycott
Shafaq News – al-Sulaymaniyah
The Kurdistan Islamic Movement on Thursday decided to boycott the November 11 parliamentary elections, declaring that the political systems in both Iraq and the Kurdistan Region can no longer deliver meaningful reform.
At a press conference in al-Sulaymaniyah, party spokesperson Abdullah Warti confirmed the decision followed deliberations by the party’s Shura Council, which concluded that participating would only legitimize a process “engineered to preserve the status quo.”
He argued that the electoral framework recycles the ruling elite through laws designed to shield dominant blocs, accusing powerful factions of manipulating voting systems for political and financial advantage, while denouncing the Kurdistan Parliament as “functionally defunct” due to repeated suspensions and failure to fulfill its constitutional duties.
Warti also faulted Kurdish lawmakers in Baghdad for neglecting key issues, including the Region’s budget share and constitutional rights. “Parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan Region were held over a year ago, yet no cabinet has been formed, the legislature remains idle, and MPs continue to draw salaries without delivering results—many of them now running again, fueling public frustration.”
The movement called on its supporters to boycott the vote, framing the decision as a protest against corruption, political monopoly, and the absence of democratic reform.
The announcement adds to a broader wave of withdrawals. Former Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s Victory (al-Nasr) Alliance, which secured four seats in the 329-member Parliament in the last election, stepped aside in September, pledging support for reformist and independent candidates.
Read more: Iraq’s 2025 Parliamentary Elections — What You Need to Know
Muqtada al-Sadr, leader of the Patriotic Shiite Movement (formerly Sadrist), who pulled out of politics in 2022 and ordered the resignation of his 73 lawmakers, has also reiterated his call for a nationwide boycott.
Read more: Iraq's political enigma: The unpredictable maneuvers of Muqtada al-Sadr
