"Although the candidates have not done anything for us and they have promised to do things for us, but they have not kept them, we are not seeing anything – but that does not mean that just because they haven't done things we shouldn’t vote. The town of Khanaqin is the town of Kurdayati (Kurdish patriotism). We vote for the blood of the martyrs," Samir Jasim, a resident of Khanaqin, told Rudaw.
The city in Diyala province, 240 kilometres southeast of Erbil, saw some unrest when Kurds demonstrated against the Iraqi forces and Hashd al-Shaabi militias in their city, leading to several deaths.
"We, on the subject of elections, we are telling all of our [Kurdish] entities that Khanaqin is a city of Kurdishness, so they should think of the city," Burhan Hatam, another resident.
"Voting is our duty. We have to protect our city because all of us are Kurds," Abas Rahim, a resident, told Rudaw.
"Tell the people to vote because this is a very fateful vote for the city. I hope the people, on voting day, will swiftly visit the ballot boxes to vote for Kurdish parties so that this city is not occupied again," said Dukan Miraris, another resident.
The Kurdish parties are fragmented ahead of the May 12 Iraqi parliament elections.
In the disputed areas, Gorran, Komal and the Coalition for Democracy and Justice (CDJ) are running on a joint list called Homeland (Nishtiman), while PUK, KDP, and KIU are each running separately.
The KDP has fielded 16 candidates in the usually PUK-dominated city.
“Of course all Kurdistani parties have incurred loses, especially in our areas, the article 140 areas,” Kadhim Pirwaly, a KDP candidate in Khanaqin, told Rudaw. “This, however, does not mean we are giving up. If we give up, losses will be greater.”
The PUK believes it has 20,000 solid votes.
"We as the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan in this area have a static base. It is true that this year is different from past years, but we have prepared ourselves well. Another side has come into the field and that makes our work harder, compelling us to prepare ourselves stronger and better," PUK candidate Suzan Mansour told Rudaw.
