Peregraf
Jumana al-Ghalai, the spokesperson for the Iraqi Independent High Election Commission (IHEC), has stated that the Judicial Elections Board of Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council has dismissed all appeals submitted by candidates and political parties concerning the sixth round of the Kurdistan parliamentary elections.
The appeals process began on October 31, 2024, with 41 challenges filed by various political entities across the Kurdistan Region. These appeals were distributed among the governorates, with 25 from Sulaymaniyah, 12 from Erbil, three from Duhok.
The Kurdistan Region held its parliamentary elections on October 20, 2024, after a two-year delay. The elections resulted in a consolidation of power for the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which secured 39 seats. The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) followed with 23 seats, and the New Generation Movement (NGM) took third place with 15 seats. Other parties, including the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) and the Kurdistan Justice Group (Komal), also participated, securing seven and three seats, respectively. Komal has announced a full boycott of the Kurdistan Parliament following the recent parliamentary elections. This decision was made public by Ali Bapir, the leader of Komal, during a press conference in Sulaymaniyah. Bapir cited alleged electoral fraud as the primary reason for their withdrawal, claiming that the voting process was "fabricated and extensively rigged".
The allegations of fraud are not isolated to Komal. Several other political groups, including the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU), the People's Front (Baray Gal), and the National Stance Movement (Halwest), have also raised concerns about the integrity of the elections.
The Iraqi Independent High Election Commission (IHEC), which oversaw the elections, has denied any instances of misconduct or violations during the ballot counting process. Jumana al-Ghalai, the spokesperson for IHEC, stated that the allegations of fraud and vote tampering are "completely unacceptable" and that no problems were reported during the counting.
The appeals were primarily based on allegations of fraud and voter manipulation, with some parties questioning the reliability of the voting machines. Despite these allegations, the IHEC maintained that no instances of misconduct or violations occurred during the ballot counting.
The resolution of these appeals is a step towards certifying the final results of the elections and paving the way for the formation of a new cabinet of Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). The ruling parties, KDP and PUK, along with other political entities, will now focus on negotiating the composition of the new cabinet and addressing the challenges ahead.