Minority groups in the Iraqi Kurdistan region have rejected the allocation of five seats in the upcoming parliamentary elections after Iraq's top court ruled in February that their 11 quota seats were "unconstitutional."
Originally scheduled for late 2022, the elections in Iraqi Kurdistan have faced multiple delays due to disputes between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). Although elections are now set for June 10, Kurdish sources have told The New Arab that they are expected to be postponed until at least October or November.
On Tuesday, Iraq's Supreme Federal Court upheld the Supreme Judicial Council's decision to allocate five seats to minorities in the Iraqi Kurdistan region. The court also rejected a plea by Masrour Barzani, Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), contesting the seat distributions.
Nechirvan Barzani, President of the Kurdistan region, is expected to announce a new election date soon in coordination with the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC). To facilitate the elections, Iraq's parliament extended IHEC's mandate for another six months, beyond its original expiry on July 7.
The court's decision has intensified tensions within the Kurdistan Region's political landscape. The KDP, led by Masoud Barzani, had already declared a boycott of the elections and called for a three-month postponement. Barzani's lawsuit challenged the current allocation of parliamentary seats, claiming it is unconstitutional. Earlier this month, the court ordered a temporary halt to preparations for the parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan Region.
