Turkmens decide to participate in Kurdistan parliamentary elections: Minister

Shafaq News/ The Turkmens of Iraqi Kurdistan have decided to participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections in the Region, Minister for Minorities Affairs Aydin Maruf said on Tuesday.

Turkmen parties had initially decided to boycott the polls following a federal court ruling that annulled the 11 seats allocated to minorities in the Kurdistan Parliament.

"After the Independent High Electoral Commission allocated five seats for the components, they will participate in the upcoming Kurdistan Parliament elections," Maruf said at a press conference in Erbil.

According to the decision, the five allocated seats will be divided among the three governorates of the Kurdistan Region: al-Sulaymaniyah will receive two seats, Erbil will receive two seats, and Duhok will receive one seat. IHEC clarified that Erbil and al-Sulaymaniyah would each receive one seat for the Christian and Turkmen communities, while Duhok's would be allocated to the Armenians.

Maruf added that the components in Kurdistan rejected the court's new decision and demanded a further review of it, as well as granting more rights to Turkmen and other religions and sects. However, "the components are ready to participate in the electoral process and call on all other political parties to participate."

Elections in Iraqi Kurdistan were initially scheduled for late 2022; however, disputes between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) led to several delays. 

The President of the Kurdistan region, Nechirvan Barzani, is expected to announce a new election date, other than June 10, soon in coordination with the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC).