Kurdish opposition groups unite ahead of elections

Shafaq News/ Kurdish opposition parties are holding intensive talks to form a unified electoral coalition ahead of Iraq’s upcoming parliamentary elections in November, seeking to reshape the political landscape away from the dominance of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).

Sources told Shafaq News that the Kurdistan Justice Group initiated the efforts, holding a series of meetings with the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) and the People’s Front, which resulted in a preliminary agreement to form a joint electoral alliance.

Contacts have also been made with the New Generation Movement (al-Jeel al-Jadeed-NGM) and the National Position Trend, both of which expressed initial approval to join the coalition. Discussions are underway with independent political figures and other groups to broaden support for the project, with a broader meeting expected in the coming days to finalize the coalition’s framework and electoral strategy, the sources added.

Attempts by Shafaq News to obtain official comments from the Kurdistan Justice Group’s leadership and its spokesperson were unsuccessful, with no confirmations or denials issued so far.

Meanwhile, Ali Hama Saleh, coordinator of the National Position Trend, told Shafaq News that discussions are still ongoing and no final decision has been made regarding participation in the coalition, declining to provide further details about its objectives.

These developments come as the KDP and PUK are considering running on a joint list in disputed areas during the upcoming parliamentary elections, in an effort to secure stronger representation in these sensitive regions.

Notably, the disputed areas in Iraq, primarily located in the provinces of Diyala, Kirkuk, Nineveh, and Saladin, have been a source of tension between the governments of Baghdad and Erbil. These territories are rich in oil and have significant strategic importance.

The disputes stem from historical demographic changes, particularly the forced displacement of Kurds and Turkmen and the settlement of Arabs during Saddam Hussein's regime.

Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution outlines a process to address these issues through normalization, a census, and a referendum. However, the implementation of this article has been delayed, leading to ongoing administrative and security challenges.