Court blocks electoral bid of Kurdistan Freedom Movement
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – A court has blocked a party from running in the September 30 Kurdistan Region parliamentary elections, the fourth party to have its electoral bid denied.
The court rejected the Kurdistan Freedom Movement’s bid to run in the election, Jutiyar Adil, member of the KRG election body, confirmed to Rudaw.
The court that made the ruling had been designated by the KRG’s judiciary council to oversee the parliamentary election.
He said the party’s electoral bid was rejected because the party has not officially registered.
The co-leader of the movement, Mohammed Abdullah, called the court’s decision a “shame.”
He said they do not have any legal issues – pointing out that they have already run in the recent Iraqi parliamentary election.
The party had run on joint lists with the newly founded New Generation in Iraq’s May 12 election outside of the Kurdistan Region administration borders. They did not secure a seat.
Abdullah said they will appeal the ruling.
He also dismissed reports that they have close ties to the PKK.
This is "fabricated and no side can prove it," he said, adding that they have good relations with all the Kurdish parties from across greater Kurdistan.
"We are an independent political party and not associated with any side," he stressed.
The image of jailed PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan was portrayed on a banner at a party congress last year.
This is the fourth party barred from running the election. The Turkmen Equality Alliance, the Ezidi-Turkmen Democratic Party, and the Assyrian Alliance party have all had their bids quashed for failing to meet criteria.
Three coalitions and 38 parties have registered to run in the September 30 election.
Updated at 1:39 pm
The court rejected the Kurdistan Freedom Movement’s bid to run in the election, Jutiyar Adil, member of the KRG election body, confirmed to Rudaw.
The court that made the ruling had been designated by the KRG’s judiciary council to oversee the parliamentary election.
He said the party’s electoral bid was rejected because the party has not officially registered.
The co-leader of the movement, Mohammed Abdullah, called the court’s decision a “shame.”
He said they do not have any legal issues – pointing out that they have already run in the recent Iraqi parliamentary election.
The party had run on joint lists with the newly founded New Generation in Iraq’s May 12 election outside of the Kurdistan Region administration borders. They did not secure a seat.
Abdullah said they will appeal the ruling.
He also dismissed reports that they have close ties to the PKK.
This is "fabricated and no side can prove it," he said, adding that they have good relations with all the Kurdish parties from across greater Kurdistan.
"We are an independent political party and not associated with any side," he stressed.
The image of jailed PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan was portrayed on a banner at a party congress last year.
This is the fourth party barred from running the election. The Turkmen Equality Alliance, the Ezidi-Turkmen Democratic Party, and the Assyrian Alliance party have all had their bids quashed for failing to meet criteria.
Three coalitions and 38 parties have registered to run in the September 30 election.