Shafaq News- Erbil
Two lawmakers representing the Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian and Armenian communities in the Kurdistan Region (KRI) warned on Monday that the continued suspension of parliamentary activity, two years after the regional elections, was undermining public confidence in constitutional institutions.
In a joint statement ahead of the October 20 anniversary of the 2024 parliamentary elections, lawmakers James Hasdo Haido and Rami Nouri Siyawish said voters across KRI's communities had participated in the election to choose their representatives and exercise their democratic rights.
“Two years after the elections, parliament remains inactive because political parties have failed to reach an agreement,” they said, describing the deadlock as a “setback” for the popular will and democratic representation.
The lawmakers warned that the continued paralysis of the legislature was damaging the Kurdistan Region's image domestically and internationally and eroding public trust in its constitutional institutions.
Read more: Kurdistan Region’s political deadlock
They urged parliamentary blocs and elected members to overcome their differences and resume parliamentary proceedings as soon as possible, allowing the legislature to carry out its lawmaking and oversight responsibilities.
The Kurdistan Region held parliamentary elections on October 20, 2024, with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) winning 39 seats, followed by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) with 23 and the New Generation Movement (Al-Jeel Al-Jadeed) with 15, in the 100-seat legislature.
Parliament convened for its inaugural session on December 2, 2024, when newly elected lawmakers took the oath of office. However, disagreements over the election of parliamentary leadership prevented the legislature from resuming normal legislative and oversight work.
Political disputes between the KDP and PUK over forming a new government and allocating senior positions have continued to delay the constitutional process, while the ninth Kurdistan Regional Government, led by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, remains in office in a caretaker capacity.