Ali Mubarak Abdul Nabi / Researcher
The parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq represent a pivotal political event, reflecting significant transformations in the local political landscape. These elections showcase intense competition among various parties seeking to shape governance and influence the Kurdistan region’s policies. Despite the longstanding dominance of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), recent years have seen the rise of new political parties and movements. Among these, the New Generation Movement has achieved notable success in recent elections, signaling a potential shift in the Kurdistan region’s power dynamics.
An important aspect of the 2024 parliamentary elections was the issue of minority representation. A key development occurred following the Federal Supreme Court’s decision in February 2024 to reduce the number of seats in the Kurdistan Regional Parliament from 111 to 100. This decision initially led to the elimination of seats allocated to Turkmen, Christian, and Armenian minorities. However, the Iraqi judiciary later reinstated five minority seats under the revised allocation, highlighting a significant dimension of the political changes influencing these elections.
The parliamentary elections, originally scheduled for 2022, were postponed multiple times due to ongoing disputes between the KDP and PUK. Eventually held on October 20, 2024, the elections saw 2,899,578 eligible voters participating, with 13 party alliances and 124 independent candidates contesting. In these elections, the New Generation Movement demonstrated remarkable progress, securing 15 seats—a substantial increase from its 8-seat victory in the 2018 elections. This success positions the New Generation Movement as a formidable competitor to the dominant Kurdish parties.
Conversely, the Change Movement (Gorran) experienced a significant decline in these elections, primarily due to reputational damage following its prior participation in the Kurdish government, which undermined its credibility as an opposition force. Meanwhile, the National Position Current and the People’s Party emerged as viable opposition alternatives, attracting voters disillusioned with the major parties, whom many hold accountable for the region’s ongoing economic and political crises.
