The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) is leading the parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)-held region in northern Iraq, according to preliminary results published by the country's election authority on Monday.
Turnout among registered voters was reported at 72%, the commission added during a news conference. Election commission officials said the final results would be announced after some complaints were reviewed, but gave no further details. KDP secured 809,197 votes, according to the results.
The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), KDP's historic rival and junior coalition partner in government, currently stands in second place with 408,141 votes, while the largest Kurdish opposition party, New Generation, trails in third with 290,991 votes.
Regional parliamentary elections took place amid an economic crisis exacerbated by a halt in oil exports, a vital revenue source for the region.
Originally slated for 2022, the elections faced multiple postponements due to disputes between the KDP and PUK.
Corruption is also among the central issues in the election. For years, the regional government has faced allegations of nepotism and lack of transparency. Many voters, particularly among the younger generation, are calling for reforms to address these concerns.
Many voters, however, have lost hope for reforms and are also skeptical of opposition parties’ ability to make changes, given the longstanding hold the two major parties have over the political landscape.
Political cooperation with the central government is another key electoral issue. Relations between Irbil and Baghdad have remained tense since a 2017 referendum over independence for the Kurdish region, particularly over issues of oil revenue sharing and budget allocations.
