Voters in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region will head to the polls on Sunday to elect a new parliament for the oil-rich region where voters express disenchantment with the political elite.
Iraqi Kurdistan presents itself as a relative oasis of stability in the turbulent Middle East, attracting foreign investors due to its close ties with the United States and Europe.
However, activists and opposition figures contend that the region, autonomous since 1991, faces the same issues affecting Iraq as a whole: corruption, political repression and cronyism among those in power.