ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq—The Iraqi electoral body on Sunday approved the final results of the Kurdistan Region’s October 20 parliamentary elections after reviewing and rejecting all the appeals numbering 41 that had been submitted by candidates and political parties. 

 

An official from the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) told The New Region that they would send correspondence to the Kurdistan Region Presidency to call for the first session of the newly-elected parliament.

 

“The results of the Kurdistan Region’s elections for the sixth round of the Parliament and the names of the parliamentarians were approved,” Nabard Omer, head of the Kurdistan Region Elections Board at the IHEC, confirmed to The New Region. 

 

Omer added they would “send correspondence to the Kurdistan Region’s Presidency as early as today.”

 

Now that the final results of the election have been approved, Nechirvan Barzani, president of the Kurdistan Region will have ten days to call for the first session of the parliament, to be presided over by the New Generation's Mohammed Sulaiman from the Sulaimani constituency, as the oldest MP.

The KDP emerged as the largest bloc in the parliament after grabbing 39 seats, followed by the PUK’s 23 in the second place.

 

The third place went to the New Generation with 15 seats, followed by the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) with seven seats, the Halwest (Stance) Movement with four seats, the Kurdistan Justice Group with three seats, the People’s Front with two seats, the Change Movement (Gorran) and the Kurdistan Coalition each grabbed one seat.

 

Some parties have already announced their opposition, including the KIU, Komal, and Halwest Movement. The New Generation’s stance, however, has remained ambiguous.

 

Leaders of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, joined by scores more from neighboring countries and beyond, called for a swift formation of the next cabinet in the Kurdistan Region, during a forum in Duhok on Friday. 

 

Addressing attendants at the fifth Middle East Peace & Security Forum (MEPS) titled 'The Paradox of Peace in the Middle East’, Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid called on the political parties of the Kurdistan Region to ramp up efforts to form “a strong government to serve the people of Kurdistan,” while adding only “ordinary people will pay the price” of rivalries between the political parties

 

“I am calling on all the parties that won seats in the Kurdistan parliament to speed up their efforts through dialogue and meetings to form a new government,” Rashid said. 

 

KDP President Masoud Barzani, for his part, said that government formation talks will commence after the announcement of the final results of the Kurdistan Region's parliamentary elections by the Iraqi electoral body in the next few days.

 

"Talks will start between all the parties for the parliament to start work as soon as possible, and other steps to follow. I hope you will all support us to have one Region, one parliament, one government, and one Peshmerga force in the future.”

 

The international community, including the US and Western countries, and authorities in Baghdad, have on several occasions called on the Kurdish leadership to swiftly form the next government.

 

To bring all the parties closer together, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani visited the Kurdistan Region last week, holding meetings with almost all the political parties who gained seats in the Kurdish legislature, urging a quick formation of the Region’s next cabinet.