Leader Barzani urges post-election Iraq to honor the constitution
Shafaq News – Duhok
Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani expressed hope on Tuesday that Iraq’s situation will improve after the upcoming parliamentary elections, urging respect for the constitution as the foundation for resolving disputes between Baghdad and Erbil.
“If the constitution becomes the judge, problems will not persist,” Barzani explained at the opening of the Fifth International Scientific Conference on Genocide Against Kurds in Duhok. “But if personal moods control decisions, crises will continue.”
Barzani also expressed regret over a mindset still present among some circles that, he warned, “could allow the repetition of the Anfal operations once carried out by Saddam Hussein’s regime against the Kurdish people,” calling for an end to such thinking.
Iraq is set to hold parliamentary elections on November 11, 2025, with more than 21.4 million eligible voters, including over 3 million in the Kurdistan Region, to elect 329 lawmakers. The Region’s 46 seats—12 reserved for women—will shape Kurdish representation in Baghdad and the balance of power in the next legislature.
Analysts believe Kurdish unity after the elections will be decisive: A divided front could again allow Baghdad to exploit internal rivalries, while a unified bloc could restore Kurdish influence over government formation and federal negotiations.
Read more: The Kurdish spine of Iraq’s elections: Unity tested by division
The KDP remains the largest Kurdish political force, dominant in Erbil and Duhok, with influence extending into disputed territories such as Kirkuk. It increased its parliamentary representation from 25 seats in 2018 to 31 in 2021, consolidating its position as a key actor in federal politics.
