KDP comes first in Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government parliamentary elections

According to the first official results of the parliamentary elections in the Iraqi Kurdish Region, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) emerged as the leading party, followed by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) in second place, and the opposition New Generation Movement in third.

The Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission released a statement detailing the preliminary results of the 6th parliamentary elections.

Out of 2,899,578 eligible voters, 2,087,972 cast their ballots, resulting in a voter turnout of 72%. Approximately 99.63% of the votes have been counted so far.

While the KDP and PUK maintained their positions in parliament, the Goran Movement, which previously held third place, saw a significant loss in votes. Meanwhile, the New Generation Movement, based in Sulaymaniyah and competing against the PUK, saw a substantial increase in its vote count, placing third.

According to the commission’s statement, the KDP received 809,197 votes, the PUK 408,141, and the New Generation Movement 290,991. Other results included the Kurdistan Islamic Union (Yekgirtu) with 116,981 votes, the Kurdistan Justice Group with 64,710, the Halwest Movement with 55,775, the People’s Front with 33,365, and Goran with 11,621 votes.

In the 100-seat parliament, the projected distribution is as follows: the KDP with 39 seats, the PUK with 23, the New Generation Movement with 15, the Kurdistan Islamic Union with 7, the Kurdistan Justice Group with 3, the Halwest Movement with 4, the People’s Front with 2, and Goran with 1 seat. The Kurdistan Alliance Group is also estimated to hold 1 seat.

Türkiye has frequently criticized the PUK for its ties to the PKK, a terrorist organization, while the PUK is also known for its close ties to Iran.