KDP boycotts Iraqi parliament sessions over “constitutional violations”

Shafaq News- Erbil

The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) announced on Saturday that it will boycott sessions of Iraq’s Parliament until further notice, days after lawmakers elected Nizar Amedi of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), its main Kurdish rival, as the country’s president.

In a statement, the KDP —the largest Kurdish bloc in parliament— accused the Council of Representatives of violating the constitution and disregarding the principles of “partnership, balance, and consensus,” explaining that the decision followed directives from its leadership.

It stressed that protecting the constitutional rights of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and preserving the legitimacy of the political process take precedence over all other considerations.

Parliament elected Amedi on April 11 with 227 votes in a second round, after earlier sessions failed to reach quorum amid Kurdish divisions over a unified candidate. KDP lawmakers boycotted the vote, in line with party leader Masoud Barzani’s position rejecting the process without a broader political agreement, including consensus on forming the next government.

On Tuesday, KDP member Ali Hussein denied that the party opposed the president personally but warned that proceeding without Kurdish consensus could undermine the Kurdistan Region’s rights. He described relations with the PUK as “good,” while noting that coordination has slowed due to recent political developments and regional tensions.

Read more: Opinion: KDP, PUK, and the fracturing of Kurdish political partnership in Iraq