Shafaq News – Duhok

Iman Abdul Razzaq, head of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) bloc in Duhok, and a current member of the Iraqi parliament, decided to join the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) to contest Iraq’s upcoming elections on November 11.

In a statement released on Monday, Abdul Razzaq said her decision followed the PUK leadership’s call for its supporters in Duhok to vote for a Christian quota candidate affiliated with the Babylon Movement, led by Rayan al-Kildani, instead of backing the party’s own nominees.

“How can a party ask its voters to support someone outside its ranks, especially when Rayan al-Kildani’s positions are known for their hostility toward the Kurdistan Region?” she said, adding that her defection was made “out of full conviction, without any pressure or financial inducement.”

According to the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), around 796,000 voters in Duhok are eligible to participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections across 278 polling centers. The province holds 12 seats in the national parliament, including two reserved for women under the gender quota and one for the Christian minority.

Iraq’s 329-member parliament reserves five seats for Christian representatives under the minority quota system—distributed across Baghdad, Nineveh, Kirkuk, Erbil, and Duhok. These seats have often been contested by the Babylon Movement, which critics accuse of aligning with Shiite political blocs.

Read more: Iraq’s 2025 Elections: Minority quota under spotlight