Iraq: A Federal Court decision ignites a new dispute between Baghdad and Erbil

[yota691]

without the participation of the union

Barzani's party seeks to form a joint Kurdish list for the elections in Kirkuk

2023.07.08 - 14:36

 

Baghdad - Nas  

The Kurdistan Democratic Party seeks to form a political alliance to run in the upcoming provincial elections in Iraq, in the city of Kirkuk and other Kurdish-majority areas outside the Kurdistan Regional Administration by organizing visits to a number of Kurdish political parties in the province, but they did not include the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.  

   

A member of the Kurdistan Democratic Organization of Kirkuk and head of the delegation, Baqi Sali, explained to the party's media, its affiliate, "Nass", (July 8, 2023) that their visit included the Justice Group, the Islamic Union, the Change Movement, and the Islamic Movement. He explained by saying that they discussed with these parties the issue of the provincial elections and how the Kurdish list can be strengthened so that the Kurdish voice in Kirkuk is not dispersed.  

  

He pointed out that they welcome the participation of these parties in a joint list with the Kurdistan Democratic Party, and that they are waiting for the response of these parties to their proposal for an alliance in the upcoming council elections.  

  

Provincial council elections are scheduled to be held in Iraq on December 18.  

[yota691]

Barzani's Party Engaged In Dialogues In Preparation For The Provincial Elections

07/08/2023

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The Kurdistan Democratic Party seeks to form a political alliance to run in the upcoming provincial council elections, in Kirkuk governorate and other areas where citizens of the Kurdish nationality reside, by organizing visits to a number of Kurdish political parties, with the exception of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.

 

A member of the Kurdistan Democratic Organization of Kirkuk’s office and head of the delegation, Baqi Sali, explained to the party’s media, that “their visit included the Justice Group, the Islamic Union, the Change Movement, and the Islamic Movement. He explained by saying that they discussed with these parties the issue of the provincial elections and how the Kurdish list can be strengthened and that the Kurdish voice in Kirkuk is not dispersed. 

 

He pointed out, "They welcome the participation of these parties in a joint list with the Kurdistan Democratic Party, and they are waiting for the response of these parties to their proposal for an alliance in the upcoming council elections."

 

Provincial council elections are scheduled to be held in Iraq on December 18.

[yota691]

Kurdistan Region officially requests Iraq’s electoral body to supervise Kurdish elections

A copy of the letter has been shared with the relevant parties in Kurdistan Region, the Presidency wrote. 

 Kurdistan 24   18 Minutes

       

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani (center) during a meeting with Iraqi electoral body officials and United Nations envoy to Iraq, June 15, 2023. (Photo: Kurdistan Region Presidency Office)

 

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region Presidency has officially requested the Iraqi electoral body to supervise the semiautonomous region’s elections later this year, according to a statement.

In a letter sent to the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) on Monday, the Presidency officially made the request for the Iraqi supervision of the Kurdish parliamentary elections on either November 18 or together with the planned Iraqi provincial councils election set for December 18 this year, a statement from the Kurdish Presidency wrote.

A copy of the letter has been shared with the relevant parties in Kurdistan Region, the Presidency wrote.

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani in mid-June met with the IHEC president in the presence of the United Nations envoy to Iraq in Erbil, where they discussed the preparations for the elections.

Due to political infighting, the Kurdistan Region parties could not agree on amending the election law last year, triggering the extension of the current Kurdistan Parliament term by a year.

Iraqi Supreme Court last month issued its own verdict on the extension, calling it “unconstitutional.”

Kurdish political parties have called for holding the polls as soon as possible.

Kurdistan Democratic Party President Masoud Barzani has recently called for holding the elections without any impediment.

[yota691]

Presidency of the region sends a request to the Federal Election Commission

07/12/2023 - 15:24

 

Baghdad - Nas  

On Wednesday, the Presidency of the Kurdistan Region sent a letter to the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission, asking it to agree to supervise the elections for the Kurdistan Parliament.  

 

And the message, of which "NAS" obtained a copy, (July 12, 2023), stated that "according to Regional Decree No. (90) dated 3/26/2023, it was decided to hold the parliamentary elections for Kurdistan on 11/18/2023."  

  

And the region’s presidency added in the letter: “Therefore, we ask the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission to prove its willingness to do so and supervise the elections on that date or with the Iraqi provincial elections on 12/1/2023.”  

[yota691]

The Electoral Commission responds to the request of the presidency of the Kurdistan region

2023.07.12 - 16:38

 

Baghdad - Nas  

The Independent High Electoral Commission responded, on Wednesday, to the request of the Presidency of the Kurdistan Region regarding the parliamentary elections.  

  

"The Commission has repeatedly confirmed its willingness to supervise the elections for the Kurdistan Parliament, but we affirm that we cannot hold the provincial elections in Iraq and the elections for the Kurdistan Parliament at the same time," said Jumana Ghali, a spokeswoman for the Commission, in a statement followed by "NAS" (July 12, 2023).  

  

The commission stressed that it "needs at least 6 or 7 months to prepare for the parliamentary elections after the Iraqi governorates."  

  

Today, Wednesday, the Presidency of the Kurdistan Region sent a letter to the Iraqi Independent High Commission for Elections, asking it to agree to supervise the elections for the Kurdistan Parliament.  

  

And the message, of which "NAS" obtained a copy, (July 12, 2023), stated that "according to Regional Decree No. (90) dated 3/26/2023, it was decided to hold the parliamentary elections for Kurdistan on 11/18/2023."    

  

And the region’s presidency added in the letter: “Therefore, we ask the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission to prove its willingness to do so and supervise the elections on that date or with the Iraqi provincial elections on 12/1/2023.”   

[yota691]

The Commission: We will supervise the elections in Kurdistan, and tomorrow the registration centers will open

• Time: 07/12/2023 20:46:33
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• Read: 1,261 times

  

{Local: Al Furat News} The Independent High Electoral Commission announced today, Wednesday, the supervision of the elections in the Kurdistan region.

 

The head of the media team of the Election Commission, Imad Jamil, told Al-Furat News that: "The commission will supervise the elections in the Kurdistan region in all its details, and will work with a technical work schedule according to international standards."
"Tomorrow, Thursday, the region will witness the opening of the 173 registration centers to receive voters," he added.
And Jamil indicated, "It is not permissible to transfer to and from the governorates of the region, and it is permissible to transfer within these governorates, starting from tomorrow, Thursday, July 13, until next August 11."

[yota691]

The Commission begins biometric modernization of short-term cards in Kurdistan

• Time: 07/13/2023 11:21:14
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• Read: 520 times

  

{Local: Al-Furat News} Jumana Al-Ghalay, a spokesman for the Independent High Electoral Commission for Elections, reported that there are about one million voters in the Kurdistan Region who have short-term ballot papers, noting that the Board of Commissioners agreed to open transportation between the provinces of the Kurdistan Region exclusively and within the same province as well.

Al-Ghalai said in a press interview, "An official letter has arrived at the Electoral Commission, which includes cooperation in holding elections for the Parliament of the Kurdistan Region," noting that, "In previous meetings, the chairman and members of the Board of Commissioners and the head of the electoral administration expressed their willingness to cooperate in holding these elections in accordance with international standards." ".

And she noted that "this request, which arrived, will be included in the agenda of the Council of Commissioners, and next week this request will be discussed and the possibility of holding these elections between the chairman and members of the Council of Commissioners and the head of the electoral administration in the presence of the technicians specialized in this aspect."

And she stated, "A decision will certainly be issued by the Board of Commissioners, and there will be an answer to this aspect, and with regard to the chairman and members of the Board of Commissioners, the request of the President of the Kurdistan Region will be discussed, and if the chairman and members of the Board of Commissioners discuss with the technical staff, they will determine the possibility of holding these elections at any of these dates." .

She pointed out that "this issue depends on the meeting of the chairman and members of the Board of Commissioners, as they are the owners of the first and last opinion, and they know best the interest of the institution and the interest of the electoral process as a whole."

A spokesman for the Independent High Electoral Commission, pointed out that "the Electoral Commission started today, Thursday, to include the governorates of the Kurdistan Region in the biometric update process, and the biometric registration kit was updated with the data of the voters of the Kurdistan Region, as well as a voter register was printed in the registration centers of our electoral offices in the Kurdistan Region." 

And she added, "The cases in the update process are additions, corrections, and transfers, including the displaced and security forces," explaining that "the Board of Commissioners agreed to open transportation between the governorates of the Kurdistan Region exclusively and within the same governorate."

 Al-Ghalay indicated that "about a million voters in the Kurdistan Region have short-term cards, so they have to visit the nearest registration center to update their biometric data," adding that "some of these voters participated in the Iraqi parliamentary elections, and the short-term cards were withdrawn from them, and they also have to review registration centers to update their data.

As for the preparations for the provincial elections, Jumana Al-Ghalali said: "We are preparing for the provincial elections, and the first stage of the electoral process is to update the voter register, which is necessary."

 

[yota691]

The Federal Election Commission meets to discuss the request for the presidency of the Kurdistan Region

2023-07-12 10:24

 

Shafaq News/ Today, Wednesday, the High Electoral Commission revealed that it will hold a meeting next week to discuss the official request received from the Kurdistan Region to hold the region's parliament elections, while it indicated that it had discussed with the region's presidency and the committees concerned with the parliament to hold these elections earlier.

 

"In a meeting that took place between the chairman and members of the Board of Commissioners with the Presidency of the Kurdistan Region, the High Electoral Commission expressed its full readiness to cooperate with the region in conducting the parliament of the Kurdistan Region," said the commission's spokeswoman, Jumana Al-Ghali, in an interview with Shafaq News agency.

 

Al-Ghalay added, "The Chairman of the Board of Commissioners spoke that the Commission needs six to seven months to hold the elections after setting a date for holding them," noting that "the Chairman of the Board of Commissioners asked the Presidency of the Kurdistan Region to direct an official letter to cooperate with the region to hold the elections."

 

And the commission's spokeswoman added, "In a meeting with the chairman and members of the Board of Commissioners with the Legal Committee of the Iraqi Council of Representatives, they talked about the commission's readiness to deal with the region, but the commission is now working on holding provincial elections, and this technically contradicts this work."

 

Al-Ghalay pointed out that "the letter of the Kurdistan Region's request has reached the High Electoral Commission, and the Board of Commissioners will hold a meeting next week to discuss the region's request with the head of the electoral administration and the specialized staff in this aspect, but in principle the willingness is present for the commission to deal with the Kurdistan Region to hold the region's parliament elections."

Today, Wednesday, the Presidency of the Kurdistan Region announced sending an official letter requesting the Independent High Commission for Federal Elections to supervise the legislative elections for the Kurdistan Parliament, to be held at the end of this year.

 

The presidency said in a statement today that, in an official letter signed by the head of the office of the Presidency of the Kurdistan Region on Monday, July 10, 2023, it was directed to the Independent High Commission for Iraqi Elections, and after sending a copy of it to the relevant parties, the Kurdistan Region Presidency called on the commission to express its willingness to supervise the Kurdistan Parliament elections.

 

The statement added that reference was made in the book to Regional Order No. (90) on March 26 of the year 2023, in which it was decided to hold the Kurdistan Parliament elections on November 18 of the year 2023, and for this purpose the Independent High Electoral Commission was asked to prepare to supervise The elections are held on time, or with the provincial council elections scheduled for December 18 of the current year.

 

The President of the Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, discussed, on June 15, 2023, with the delegation of the Independent High Electoral Commission in Iraq, in the presence of the UN envoy, Jenin Blaskhart, the ongoing preparations for the elections of the Kurdistan Parliament, while pointing to the readiness of the region's presidency, the government and all concerned parties to make the electoral process a success.

 

The statement issued by the presidency of the region at the time indicated that "the head of the Independent High Commission for Elections in Iraq and the Board of Commissioners expressed their thanks to the president of the region for their invitation and for giving attention to the exchange of views and dialogues," pointing out that "the commission is ready to hold the elections for the Kurdistan Parliament in accordance with the law and after securing the requirements and agreeing on a date." Appropriate".

[yota691]

The federal government postpones resolving lawsuits against the Kurdistan Parliament Election Law 

2023.07.18 - 15:50

 

Baghdad - Nas  

The Supreme Iraqi Federal Court has postponed cases against five articles of the Parliamentary Elections Law for the Kurdistan Region until next month.  

 

According to the schedule of sessions of the Supreme Iraqi Federal Court, the court was scheduled to meet on Tuesday, corresponding to July 18, 2023, to discuss lawsuits regarding the Kurdistan Parliament’s election law, but the court postponed resolving the two lawsuits to Sunday, August 6, 2023.  

  

The first lawsuit was filed by Ziyad Jabbar, head of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan bloc in the fifth session of the Kurdistan Parliament, against five articles of the regional parliament elections law.  

[yota691]

Without conditions.. A Kurdish meeting ends with an agreement on a mechanism for the Kurdistan Parliament elections

policy |Today, 15:12 |

    

 

Baghdad today - Kurdistan

Today, Tuesday (July 18, 2023), the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Ali Hussein, revealed the most important topics that were discussed during a meeting of a delegation from the Kurdistan Democratic Party with the Movement for Change in Sulaymaniyah, while stressing that his party insists on holding elections for the Kurdistan Parliament.

 

Ali Hussein said in a press conference after the meeting about the inclusion of the Kurdish parties in one list to participate in the provincial elections in Iraq, followed by "Baghdad Today": "We are ready to hold talks with the political parties about everything that is in the interest of Kurdistan and the identity of the Kurdish regions outside the administration of the region," In order for our agreements to be compatible with the nature of the elections and in favor of the disputed regions, (Article 140) of the Constitution.

 

Ali Hussein stressed that "the Kurdistan Democratic Party insists on holding the Kurdistan Parliament elections," adding that "all political parties must agree to hold the Kurdistan Parliament elections along with the Iraqi provincial elections, because there will be no technical problems to conduct the provincial elections and the Kurdistan Parliament elections." At the same time".

 

Hussein added, "We met with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan in the past days, and we will hold other meetings with them. We are political parties and we formed the Kurdistan government together. There may be problems between us, but there are common points and the interests of the people of Kurdistan make us solve problems through dialogue," stressing that the party The Kurdistan Democratic Party "has no conditions for dialogue, and we will do what is in the interest of the people of Kurdistan and the Kurdish regions outside the administration of the region."

 

For his part, the spokesman for the Movement for Change, Dilir Abd al-Rahman, said at the press conference, "We discussed in the meeting many issues with the delegation of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, related to the lives of citizens and political, administrative and legal issues in Kurdistan. We also discussed the file of the Iraqi provincial elections in the Kurdish regions outside the region's administration." .

 

He continued, "Our demand is to put our common points and interests in the service of our people, remove our differences and reach a new mechanism based on a Kurdish national political strategy, to solve problems within Kurdistan, and to prepare ourselves under the umbrella of one Kurdish discourse, and to establish a joint electoral list,"

adding, "It is It is a historical responsibility for the participating Kurdish parties to protect the weight of the Kurds, especially in Kirkuk. We must participate in the elections with one list, and that our unity be a response to the continuous attacks on the Kurdish citizens in Kirkuk."

 

 

[yota691]

Formation of a Kurdish coalition of 13 parties to participate in the Iraqi local elections

2023.07.19 - 14:03

 

Baghdad - Nas  

The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and the Movement for Change (Gurran) announced, on Wednesday, the formation of a broad coalition with 11 other political parties to participate in the Iraqi provincial elections.  

  

The 13 Kurdish parties said in a statement followed by "NAS" (July 19, 2023), that the Kurdistan Communist Party decided to form a broad Kurdish list in the Kurdish regions outside the Kurdistan Regional Government.  

  

They called on other Kurdish parties to form a Kurdish list as soon as possible and to participate with it so that it can win the largest number of votes in the Iraqi provincial elections and protect the rights of the Kurdish people.  

[yota691]

Document .. The Federal Commission proposes to hold elections for the Parliament of Kurdistan next February

2023-07-19 07:44

Shafaq News/ The Board of Commissioners of the Independent High Commission for Federal Elections proposed holding legislative elections for the Kurdistan Parliament in February 2024.

 

According to an official letter issued by the Commission on the 18th of July, and appended to the signature of the Chairman of the Council of Commissioners, Omar Ahmed Muhammad, which includes a proposal to hold Kurdistan elections on the 18th of a month, or later than that date, because the date proposed by the Presidency of the region coincides with the holding of provincial elections, and two elections cannot be held simultaneously, or with a close time interval, due to the privacy of each of them in addition to other reasons related to the technical and procedural aspects.

 

The proposal of the Board of Commissioners comes in response to an official letter sent by the Presidency of the Region requesting the Independent High Commission for Federal Elections to supervise the legislative elections for the Kurdistan Parliament to be held at the end of this year.

 

The Presidency said in a statement on Wednesday, July 12, that in an official letter signed by the Chief of Staff of the Presidency of the Kurdistan Region on Monday, July 10, 2023, it was addressed to the Independent High Commission for Iraqi Elections, and after sending a copy of it to the relevant parties, the Presidency of the Kurdistan Region called on the Commission to express its willingness to supervise the elections for the Kurdistan Parliament.

 

The statement added that reference was made in the book to Regional Order No. (90) on the 26th of March of the year 2023, in which it was decided to hold the Kurdistan Parliament elections on the 18th of November of the year 2023, and for this purpose the Independent High Electoral Commission was asked to prepare to supervise the elections on their specified date or with the provincial council elections scheduled for December 18 of the current year.

 

 

[yota691]

The Presidency of the Region sets the date for the Kurdistan Parliament elections

political |   12:09 - 22/07/2023

 

 

 

 

Baghdad - Mawazine News
The Office of the Presidency of the Kurdistan Region set, on Saturday, the date for holding the region's elections, while stressing that the date will not exceed February of next year.
The head of the office of the regional presidency, Fawzi Hariri, said, "There is information indicating that the commission decided that the date of the elections in the region will be either on the eighteenth of next February 2024, or any date after that, due to the need of 6-7 months to prepare for the elections."
 And he continued: "When we receive the official address and we expect that next Sunday or Monday, the president of the region will set the date that does not exceed the end of February, determine the election day and issue an official decree in that regard, after which we will officially inform the Independent High Authority for Elections by letter at the end of this week or before the end of this month." Ended 29 / H

[horsesoldier]

Just an observation: these criminal politicians and their bought and paid for Judges look for &  create ways to pi$$ EVERYONE off.

Keep everything stirred up, 24/7

[yota691]

The Federal Council publishes its decision on challenging the constitutionality of the work of the Kurdistan Elections Commission

2023.07.24 - 14:56

 

Baghdad - Nas  

The Federal Supreme Court published, on Monday, the text of the ruling regarding the appeal against the work of the Kurdistan Regional Elections Commission, due to the expiration of its legal mandate.  

 

The court rejected the case according to Resolution (84 / Federal / 2023), the case submitted by the head of the National Union bloc, the fifth session of the Kurdistan Parliament, Ziad Jabbar, against the Kurdistan Elections Commission. The court attributed the reason for the response to the issue of the case being outside the jurisdiction of the Federal Court in accordance with the law.

[yota691]

The Presidency of the Region announces the proposed date for the Kurdistan Parliament elections

• Time: 07/26/2023 23:08:27
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• Read: 1,755 times

  

{Politics: Al Furat News} An informed source said, today, Wednesday, that the presidency of the Kurdistan Region proposed to the political forces in Kurdistan to hold parliamentary elections in the region, on the 25th of February 2024.

A spokesman for the Presidency of the region, Dilshad Shihab, said in a statement, "Under the direction of the President of the Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, and to set a new date for holding the elections for the sixth session of the region's parliament, a high-level delegation from the Presidency of the Kurdistan Region began, today, Wednesday, to develop a program to conduct a series of visits to the parties." And the Kurdish political forces, in order to seek their opinion to set a new date for holding parliamentary elections in the region.

He explained that "the Kurdish political parties welcomed the step taken by the President of the Kurdistan Region," expressing "their readiness to support this step and make it a success."

He pointed out that "the Kurdish political parties praised the steps of the President of the Kurdistan Region for unity and political discourse, especially on important and crucial issues."

He stressed that "after visiting all the Kurdish political parties and forces, and knowing their opinions, Nechirvan Barzani will issue a regional decree, setting a new date for holding parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan Region."

Earlier, the head of the office of the Presidency of the Kurdistan Region, Fawzi Hariri, announced that parliamentary elections will be held in the Kurdistan Region in February 2024.

"To determine the date for holding parliamentary elections in Kurdistan, we will coordinate with all political forces and parties in the region," Fawzi Hariri said in a press statement.

Hariri stressed that "although setting a date for holding parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan Region falls within the powers of the region's president, the region's presidency would like to set the date in coordination with all parties, so that everyone is committed to holding the elections on time."

He stressed that "the holding of parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan Region will take place in February of 2024," noting that "the President of the Kurdistan Region will set the deadline for holding them."

This comes after a proposal submitted by the Independent High Electoral Commission in Iraq stipulating the possibility of postponing the Kurdistan elections to February 18, 2024.

The Presidency of the Kurdistan Region called on the High Commission to supervise the legislative elections in the region, either on the 18th of November or the 18th of December 2023.

Before the Independent Commission responded to the difficulty of holding the Kurdistan elections on the two specified dates coinciding with the holding of the Iraqi provincial elections.

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The Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union will hold a new round of negotiations tomorrow

 

14:46 PM

Zakros - Erbil 

The Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan will meet tomorrow, Sunday (July 30, 2023), to hold a new round of negotiations.

According to the information obtained by our reporter, the delegations of the political bureaus of the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan will meet at eleven o'clock before noon on Sunday.

The meeting will be held in the Debashan district of Sulaymaniyah Governorate.

The meeting is expected to discuss the situation in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq and the region, especially the preparations for holding the Kurdistan Parliament elections. 

Earlier this July, a delegation from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan headed by Pavel Talabani visited the political office of the Kurdistan Democratic Party in Erbil, where the two sides discussed several issues within a series of meetings held between them recently.

And last Wednesday, the Presidency of the Kurdistan Region announced that the Board of Commissioners of the Independent High Commission for Elections in Iraq had expressed its willingness to supervise the elections for the Kurdistan Parliament after February 18, 2024, and that the Commission was unable to do so before this date.

A spokesman for the Presidency of the Kurdistan Region, Dilshad Shihab, told the Presidency of the Region: "By order of the President of the Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, and with the aim of seeking opinions about setting a new date for the elections for the sixth session of the Kurdistan Parliament, a high-ranking delegation from the Presidency of the Kurdistan Region began a series of visits to political parties and parties in Kurdistan Region to see the positions of those parties and parties regarding setting a new date for the Kurdistan Parliament elections. 

He added, "The political forces and parties welcomed the initiative of the President of the Kurdistan Region and expressed their willingness to support these steps and everything that would make the process a success."  

During those meetings, the political parties and parties described the efforts of the President of the Kurdistan Region to unite the national ranks and positions and the unity of political discourse at the level of crucial issues as "important and keen."

He reviewed the final results of the visits program, "which is the determination to visit all parties and parties, and after taking opinions, Nechirvan Barzani will issue a regional order to set a new date for the elections for the sixth legislative session of the Kurdistan Parliament."

[yota691]

{Democratic} and {Union} agree on five points

The first  2023/07/31

 

 

 Sulaymaniyah: Morning

 

The two main parties in the Kurdistan region agreed on Sunday to protect the region's entity and its constitutional rights.

 

A joint statement issued by the meeting of the political bureaus of the two parties, which was held yesterday, stated that "after discussing the status of the region in general, and Iraq and the Kurdistan region in particular, the two sides stressed the protection of the Kurdistan region's entity and its constitutional rights, and exerted full efforts to confront obstacles for the sake of citizens' sustenance and solving problems."

 

The two sides expressed their "support for holding parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan region at the date that will be determined by the president of the region after consulting the political parties in the region."

[yota691]

Details of the meeting of the Sudanese and the deputies of Alekte

2023.07.31 - 22:02

 

Baghdad - Nas   

Today, Monday, Prime Minister Muhammad Shia Al-Sudani and a number of deputies of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan discussed three files.  

 

The media office of the Prime Minister said in a statement, which "NAS" received a copy of, (July 31, 2023) that "Prime Minister Muhammad Shia' al-Sudani received, this evening, a number of members of Parliament for the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan."  

  

He added, "The meeting discussed the overall general situation in the country, and the ongoing government plans to advance the economic and service situation for citizens, which are integrated with the efforts of the House of Representatives to support the government to implement its priorities included in the government program."  

  

He stated, "The meeting witnessed a discussion of the ongoing preparations for the elections of the Parliament of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and the importance of providing the necessary atmosphere to ensure their success, and to achieve broad participation in them."  

[yota691]

Report: Kurdish agreement 'under pressure' to hold elections and unite the Peshmerga

2023.08.01 - 13:40

 

Baghdad - Nas  

The US Consulate General in Erbil welcomed the agreement reached between the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan regarding holding parliamentary elections and supporting the unification and reform of the Peshmerga forces, but Washington's welcome to the step does not hide the obstacles to its implementation on the ground in light of the deep divisions between the two ruling partners in the Kurdistan region. According to a report by the London-based Al-Arab newspaper.   

 

Observers say that the rare Kurdish-Kurdish agreement requires overcoming a large number of political differences and divisions that conditions do not seem ready now to be overcome in light of the mutual accusations and the extremely heated political climate.  

  

They point out that the agreement of the two main parties regarding the holding of elections and the unification of the Peshmerga forces may have come in response to American pressure and to raise the blame more than it stems from a political conviction of the need to overcome the bumps that have weakened the region.  

  

On Sunday, the Democratic Party and the National Union issued a joint statement following the meeting of the political bureaus of the two parties. "The two sides discussed the situation in the region in general, and Iraq and Kurdistan in particular," the statement said. The two parties added, according to the statement, "We will do our best to face the challenges for the sake of citizens' livelihood and solve problems."  

  

According to the statement, it was agreed on several points, the most important of which is the holding of parliamentary elections in Kurdistan at the time determined by the President of the Kurdistan Region after consultation with the political parties in the region and the continuation of the process of reorganizing the Peshmerga forces as well as setting aside problems and small differences and turning to solving problems together.  

  

The political bureaus of the two parties held a meeting in the Debashan area in Sulaymaniyah, with the participation of the President of the Patriotic Union, Pavel Talabani, the Vice President of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Qubad Talabani, Fadel Mirani, and the leader of the Democratic Party, Hoshyar Zebari.  

  

This is not the first time that the two ruling partners in Kurdistan have agreed to overcome obstacles to the unity of the region and avoid the scenario of its division. Each time, the agreements remain a dead letter, and disputes soon resurface to the surface, bringing with them American and internal efforts to contain them.  

  

Last October, the region's 111-seat parliament extended its session for an additional year, postponing the elections that were supposed to take place in the same month, due to political disputes between the two major parties, the Democratic Party and the National Union.  

  

The ruling Kurdish parties, including the Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union, agreed to the extension in 2022, after failing to reach consensus on a new electoral law. The parties have pledged to hold elections in November 2023, but have not yet reached consensus on the new regulations.  

  

The two major rival parties dominate political life in the region. In the current parliament, the Democratic Party has the majority with 45 seats, followed by the National Union with 21 seats, and the remaining seats are distributed among opposition parties and small ones.  

  

Efforts to unify the Peshmerga forces in the Kurdistan region of Iraq are still facing administrative and political obstacles, despite efforts to solve the dilemma, which represents the most important obstacles to the stability of the region, which is contested by the conflicting political agendas of the two ruling partners.  

  

Western countries, led by the United States, support the unification of the Peshmerga as part of a broader security sector reform, but despite the efforts made, the unification of the Peshmerga forces seems a long way off as these forces are still subject to political influence.  

  

The two main Kurdish parties control different sections of the Peshmerga. The lack of integration of these disparate forces has always been the subject of intense discussion and controversy, to the extent that the Minister of Peshmerga Affairs, Shoresh Ismail, a member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, had threatened to resign due to the interference of the ruling parties in the ministry.  

  

The total number of Peshmerga soldiers is estimated at about 150,000, all of whom receive their salaries from the Kurdistan Regional Government, but only 18 units consisting of about 42,000 soldiers work under the supervision of the Ministry of Peshmerga. However, the officers in the units affiliated with the ministry ultimately obey the orders of the party leaders to which they belong. The number of Peshmerga members of the Democratic Party and the National Union still exceeds 100,000, as it is believed that each party has about 60,000 soldiers.  

  

This internal division, especially at the security and military level, has made the region constantly subject to criticism from strategic international allies in particular, due to its inability to unify its security forces under the roof of one systemic umbrella and with a national, institutional, non-partisan faith.  

  

International pressure, including the international coalition to fight ISIS and the United States, has so far resulted in merging 22 brigades into the Peshmerga and placing them under the command of the Ministry of Peshmerga, but this remains below expectations and without achieving aspirations.  

  

The issue of uniting the Peshmerga escalated in the aftermath of the referendum on the independence of the Kurdistan region from Iraq in 2017, when political differences between the Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union contributed to the withdrawal of Peshmerga forces loyal to the Patriotic Union from disputed lands between the Kurds and Baghdad. The withdrawal highlighted the dangers of the Peshmerga belonging to a specific party rather than the entire region, which led to the loss of gains previously achieved by the Kurds.  

[yota691]

{Dabashan} meeting: Do not agree on the date of the region's elections

Iraq  2023/08/02

 

 

 Sulaymaniyah: Karim Al-Ansari 

 

The final statement of the Dabashan meeting in Sulaymaniyah, which was attended by the two main parties in the Kurdistan region, the “National Union” and the Democratic Party, did not address setting a date for holding the legislative elections, despite the five points of internal concern, in addition to the support of the regional government by the two parties and the need to settle the outstanding differences between the two parties. .

A member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Wafaa Muhammad, said in an interview with “Al-Sabah”: “The purpose of the meeting of the two parties in Sulaymaniyah is to unite the Kurdish ranks in the provincial elections, especially Kirkuk,” noting that “the goal between the (Democratic) and (Union) is common and one. Which is for the Kurds to get more seats in the provincial council in Kirkuk and to get the position of governor.

He added, “With regard to the region’s elections, the date has not yet been set,” indicating that “(the Union) insists on postponing the elections again, and (the Democratic Party) insists on expediting their holding as soon as possible,” pointing out that “the agreement was made on some Points, represented by the support of the regional government, identifying other meetings between the two parties, postponing or postponing some controversial points and suspending them if there is no radical solution to them, and the most concern about 

Provincial council elections.

While Diyar Aqrawi, a member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, indicated in an interview with “Al-Sabah” that “regarding the recent meeting that took place between the two parties in Sulaymaniyah, we do not deny that there are international and even national pressures inside Iraq to resolve the differences between the two parties and set a date for elections.” .

And he noted, “The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan in many locations indicated on this point that the elections are a national project that requires the agreement of the Kurdish political forces and parties, but unfortunately we did not find a response, (and according to my information), those gathered in (Dabashan) concluded that the election day will be an initiative From the parties and from all political forces to determine it,” stressing that “we in the (National Union) do not fear or fear the elections, and we had a point of view regarding the election law and that it needs to be amended, so the dialogues and discussions are continuing and the international and internal pressures are continuing in order for the two parties to reach Kurdistan to set a day for holding legislative elections.

And the advisor in the Parliament of the Kurdistan Region, Mahmoud Khoshnaw, revealed in his interview with “Al-Sabah” that “the dialogue that took place in (Dabashan) between the two parties focused on how to manage governance in the region and end outstanding disputes as well as administrative problems,” stressing that “the election file was The most prominent file in the discussions, as well as dealing with the regional government, supporting it, and ending the differences.

In an interview with Al-Sabah, a former member of the Parliament of the Kurdistan region and economic expert, Abdul Salam Berwari, believes that “the final statement of the (Dabashan) meeting in Sulaymaniyah governorate stressed the need to hold elections on the date set by the president of the region after consulting with the parties.”

For his part, the political researcher, Dr. Samal Shali, that “the concern that was preoccupying both sides is the necessity of consensus between the two parties regarding restoring the legitimacy of the Kurdistan Region Parliament, but the legislative authority does not exist.”

And Shali added, in an interview with “Al-Sabah,” that “the legitimacy of parliament greatly affected the legitimacy of the Kurdistan region, but there are agreements that were not addressed by the meeting of the two Kurdish parties, such as oil issues, contenting themselves with supporting the government in the region, and that the regional government be responsible before Baghdad regarding The agreements that took place between the center and the region, and that the regional government cannot be fragile at this particular time,” noting that “(the Union) and (the Democratic) and with them (Change – Goran) support the steps of the future agreement between the center and the region, like the last agreement.”

Shali acknowledged, "The presence of a major financial crisis afflicting the region facing the employees, represented in not receiving their pensions for two consecutive months," expressing optimism that the center and the region would reach a final agreement on the outstanding issues.

 

Edited by: Muhammad Al-Ansari

[yota691]

The presidency of the region decides the date of the parliamentary elections by decision

2023.08.03 - 16:29

 

Baghdad - Nas  

On Thursday, the Kurdistan Presidency set the date of February 25 of next year 2024 to hold the region's parliament elections.  

 

"February 25, 2024 has been set as the date for holding the general elections for the sixth session of the Kurdistan Parliament," the presidential spokesman, Dilshad Shehab, said in a press conference followed by "NAS" (August 3, 2023).  

  

Shehab added, "All political parties in the region will be committed to coordinating all activities related to the elections with the Electoral Commission to implement the decision."  

  

He explained, "The presidential decision will be published in the official Kurdistan Fact Sheet to set the date for the elections."  

[yota691]

Kurdistan sets February 25, 2024 as the date for holding the regional parliament elections

• Time: 08/03/2023 16:26:13
•  
• Read: 221 times

  

{Politics: Al Furat News} Today, Thursday, the President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Nechirvan Barzani, issued a regional decree to hold the Kurdistan Parliament elections in its sixth session on February 18 of the year 2024.

Dilshad Shihab, spokesman for the Presidency of the region, said in a press conference in which he read the decree, that "based on the provisions of Paragraph Two of Article Ten of the amended Kurdistan Region Presidency Law No. (1) of 2005, we have drawn what comes first: February 25, 2024 is set as a date To hold general elections for the Parliament of Kurdistan - Iraq for its sixth session.

He added, "Secondly, the relevant authorities must cooperate and coordinate with the Independent High Electoral Commission to implement this decree," according to the spokesman, who said, "This decree is implemented from the date of its issuance and published in the Official Gazette."

[yota691]

The Federal Court decides in favor of Barzani to cut a percentage of the region's employees' salaries

 

Last updated: August 2, 2023 - 5:09 PM

 Baghdad / Iraq News Network - The Federal Supreme Court rejected the lawsuit filed against the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region, Masrour Barzani, regarding the deduction of a percentage of the salaries for those who receive it from employees, workers in the public sector and retirees in the region. And Shaswar Abdul Wahid Qadir, head of the New Generation Movement Party in addition to his job, Basem Khazal Khashan, a member of the House of Representatives, Ronak Abdul Wahid Qadir, Vian Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman, and his minister, Ahmed Braim, filed a lawsuit against the Prime Minister of the region, requesting the ruling to nullify and cancel the decision of the Council of Ministers of the region Kurdistan No. (61) on 6/21/2020, which includes (the deduction of (21%) of the expenses and financial benefits for affiliates and retirees in ministries, agencies and entities not associated with all ministries, and the presidencies and institutions of the region, and the cancellation of the effects that resulted from it, including the seizure of the funds that were deducted Contrary to the laws in force and the constitution. The case was decided by dismissing the plaintiffs' claim for lack of jurisdiction in form, according to the formula in which the case was filed.

[yota691]

America expresses its position on the date of the parliamentary elections in the region

2023.08.04 - 13:14

 

Baghdad - Nas  

The US embassy in Baghdad and its consulate in Erbil commented, on Friday, on the date of the parliamentary elections announced by the president of the region.  

 

The embassy said in a statement, which "NAS" received a copy of (August 4, 2023), that it "welcomes the announcement by the President of the region, Nechirvan Barzani, the date for the elections for the Parliament of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq on February 25, 2024."  

  

"Free, fair and timely elections are essential to any healthy democracy," she added.