KDP urges reform of Iraq’s “unfair” election law
Shafaq News – Erbil
On Sunday, Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani described Iraq’s electoral law as “unfair,” as the country heads toward its November 11 parliamentary elections.
Speaking at a KDP election rally attended by Shafaq News, Barzani said Kurds had “never been genuine partners” in Iraq’s political process, recalling that this supposed partnership “turned into Anfal campaigns and the bombing of our villages with chemical weapons.” He added that even after 2003, the victims of those atrocities committed under Saddam Hussein’s regime were denied their rightful compensation.
Barzani expressed hope that the upcoming elections would serve as “a new opportunity” to correct past mistakes and strengthen democratic practices.
Iraq’s parliamentary elections are governed by Law No. 4 of 2023, which amended the 2018 electoral law and restructured representation across the country’s 18 provinces (excluding Halabja). Each province now forms a single electoral district, with seats allocated through the Sainte-Lague 1.7 method.
The Parliament comprises 329 seats, distributed among the provinces by population, alongside nine quota seats reserved for minority communities: Christians, Sabean-Mandaeans, Yazidis, Shabak, and Fayli Kurds.
In the 2021 parliamentary elections, the KDP won 31 seats, up from 25 in 2018, consolidating its position as the dominant Kurdish party in federal politics.
Read more: Iraq’s 2025 Parliamentary Elections — What You Need to Know
