Deadline Looms as Kurdistan Opposition Struggles to Form Unified Electoral Coalition

Peregraf

A meeting of opposition parties in the Kurdistan Region held in Sulaymaniyah to discuss forming an electoral alliance for Iraq’s upcoming parliamentary elections, scheduled for November 11, concluded without an agreement. However, participants stated that there is "some understanding" and agreed to reconvene soon for further talks.

The majority of the opposition groups, including the New Generation Movement (Naway Nwe), the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU), the Kurdistan Justice Group (Komal), the National Position Movement (Halwest), the Islamic Relations Movement, and several independent figures—among them former Kurdistan Parliament Speaker Dr. Yusuf Mohammed—attended today’s discussions aimed at establishing a coalition outside the dominant Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).

Abdulstar Majid, a member of Komal’s delegation, told reporters after the meeting, "We will meet again tomorrow and hope to reach a final decision." He added, "So far, we have only held discussions and have not agreed on anything concrete, but there is mutual understanding."

Rebwar Karim, spokesperson for the Halwest Movement, emphasized that while there is "good understanding," reaching a final agreement will require "several more meetings."

A key point of discussion was whether the alliance would continue functioning after the elections and what mechanisms would be established to sustain it—a priority highlighted by most participating parties.

The parties have only three days left to finalize their alliance and register it with Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), which has extended the deadline for coalition registrations until the official closing date of May 14.

Karim noted, "Our election offices are ready, and if the alliance is formed, they can submit the registration within the legal timeframe."