PUK members to meet to discuss the Kurdish Parliamentary elections
Shafaq News/ The Political Bureau of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) is convening a meeting on Tuesday to discuss the upcoming parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan Region, scheduled for June 10.
This meeting follows the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) 's recent rejection of reports that it had sought a postponement of the elections to participate under existing conditions, procedures, and laws.
According to a political source, the agenda for the PUK meeting includes discussions on the internal situation within the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, preparations for the parliamentary elections in Kurdistan, and assessments of potential developments.
On Monday, KDP rejected reports claiming it requested a postponement of the elections so that it could participate under the same current conditions, procedures, and laws.
In a statement, the Party stated, "These reports are unfounded, and the Kurdistan Democratic Party insists on its position, refuting any illegal interference in the elections and deeming it necessary to address all technical problems, constitutional violations, and legal irregularities in the electoral process."
"All citizens in the Kurdistan Region, regardless of their components, have the right to vote, and manipulating election results is not permissible."
The Party reiterated that the Kurdistan Democratic Party "always supports constitutional, transparent, and fair elections. Even if their timing is delayed, these constitutional and technical amendments must be achieved to ensure fair and transparent elections."
In March, the Kurdistan Democratic Party declared its decision to boycott the upcoming parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan 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, KDP is a prominent political force in Iraqi 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.
