Shafaq News – Erbil

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani cast his ballot in Erbil on Tuesday morning, hoping that Iraq’s sixth parliamentary elections would mark “a new beginning” based on the constitution, stability, and prosperity for all citizens.

Speaking to reporters after voting, Barzani described the elections as among the most significant since 2005, after Iraq’s long political transitions. “We hope these elections will open a new chapter for a democratic Iraq in which all components obtain their rights,” he said.

Barzani called on citizens across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region to exercise their right to vote, saying the process carries both a right and a responsibility, adding, “It is important that everyone approaches this process with a high sense of responsibility.”

He noted that Iraq has witnessed progress in security and the economy, expressing optimism that this election would help advance constitutional implementation and consolidate stability.

Addressing Kurdish political relations, Barzani, who is also Vice President of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), said that dialogue with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) would follow the elections. “Certainly, after the elections we will sit down with the PUK to discuss forming the new government of the Kurdistan Region.”

Read more: The Kurdish spine of Iraq’s elections: Unity tested by division