PUK appeals for quick resolution of election debacle
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The PUK has called for Iraq’s top court to step in to resolve legal and constitutional issues surrounding Iraq’s election debacle and warned against “unwanted events” if the matter is not resolved quickly.
“Definitely, if the problems are not resolved as quickly as possible and the situation remains impending and unresolved, we expect unwanted events to happen. The issue may blow up and put Iraq in a political and governing deadlock,” the party said in a published statement on Thursday.
The Iraqi parliament passed a bill on Wednesday that ordered a full manual recount of all votes cast in the May 12 parliamentary election, canceled votes of IDPs, the diaspora, and Kurdistan Region’s security personnel, and suspended the electoral body, replacing commissioners with nine judges.
The PUK did not attend the parliamentary session on Wednesday.
Iraq’s electoral commission announced its intention to appeal the parliamentary decision, saying on Thursday it will “use its constitutional and legal right to appeal.”
It claimed the new law contains “a number of violations… that aren’t compatible with the constitution” or the commission’s own bylaws.
The PUK proposed a series of steps “resolve the problems and mitigate the situation.”
First, “the federal court must announce its jurisdiction over all the legal and constitutional issues and the authorities of the Iraqi High Electoral Independent Commission,” the PUK statement read.
Shiite Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani must play a role “in easing the situation,” the PUK added, while calling on all parties to remain calm.
The party also said it has expectations that the UN and neighboring countries would help to “find a genuine constitutional and legal resolution to the issues, away from fierce reactions.”
With respect to Kurdish parties, the PUK said it wants to see them keep out of the rivalries and instead “become part of the solution as a peaceful nation.”
The Coalition for Democracy and Justice (CDJ), the Change Movement (Gorran), Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU), the Islamic Group of Kurdistan (Komal), the Communist Party of Kurdistan, and the Islamic Movement of Kurdistan (IKM), have all protested May 12 election results and accused the ruling parties of rigging the election outcome.
The six parties welcomed the parliament’s decision.
“We declare our support for the important and historic step taken by the Iraqi parliament to respond to voters and political parties over electronic fraud and hooliganism targeting peoples’ votes, and tampering with the result of the election held on May 12 in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region,” the group stated on Thursday.
The PUK came second with 18 seats after the KDP’s 25 among the Kurdish parties in the May 12 elections. The two are historically the largest parties from the Kurdistan Region.
The politburos of the two parties met in Erbil on Thursday. In their meeting, they rejected the cancellation of votes from advance polls for security personnel in the Kurdistan Region, arguing that the constitutional right to vote belongs to each citizen and cannot be taken away.
Instead of honouring the bravery of the Peshmerga in fighting ISIS and showing respect for the sacrifices of the Kurdish forces, the Iraqi parliament has made the decision to take away their right to vote, the two parties stated.
The KDP earlier said it does not oppose a manual recount, but has condemned the cancellation of IDP and security personnel votes as a violation of the constitution.
The party plans to appeal the decision, Khasro Goran, head of the KDP’s election office, said.
“Definitely, if the problems are not resolved as quickly as possible and the situation remains impending and unresolved, we expect unwanted events to happen. The issue may blow up and put Iraq in a political and governing deadlock,” the party said in a published statement on Thursday.
The Iraqi parliament passed a bill on Wednesday that ordered a full manual recount of all votes cast in the May 12 parliamentary election, canceled votes of IDPs, the diaspora, and Kurdistan Region’s security personnel, and suspended the electoral body, replacing commissioners with nine judges.
The PUK did not attend the parliamentary session on Wednesday.
Iraq’s electoral commission announced its intention to appeal the parliamentary decision, saying on Thursday it will “use its constitutional and legal right to appeal.”
It claimed the new law contains “a number of violations… that aren’t compatible with the constitution” or the commission’s own bylaws.
The PUK proposed a series of steps “resolve the problems and mitigate the situation.”
First, “the federal court must announce its jurisdiction over all the legal and constitutional issues and the authorities of the Iraqi High Electoral Independent Commission,” the PUK statement read.
Shiite Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani must play a role “in easing the situation,” the PUK added, while calling on all parties to remain calm.
The party also said it has expectations that the UN and neighboring countries would help to “find a genuine constitutional and legal resolution to the issues, away from fierce reactions.”
With respect to Kurdish parties, the PUK said it wants to see them keep out of the rivalries and instead “become part of the solution as a peaceful nation.”
The Coalition for Democracy and Justice (CDJ), the Change Movement (Gorran), Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU), the Islamic Group of Kurdistan (Komal), the Communist Party of Kurdistan, and the Islamic Movement of Kurdistan (IKM), have all protested May 12 election results and accused the ruling parties of rigging the election outcome.
The six parties welcomed the parliament’s decision.
“We declare our support for the important and historic step taken by the Iraqi parliament to respond to voters and political parties over electronic fraud and hooliganism targeting peoples’ votes, and tampering with the result of the election held on May 12 in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region,” the group stated on Thursday.
The PUK came second with 18 seats after the KDP’s 25 among the Kurdish parties in the May 12 elections. The two are historically the largest parties from the Kurdistan Region.
The politburos of the two parties met in Erbil on Thursday. In their meeting, they rejected the cancellation of votes from advance polls for security personnel in the Kurdistan Region, arguing that the constitutional right to vote belongs to each citizen and cannot be taken away.
Instead of honouring the bravery of the Peshmerga in fighting ISIS and showing respect for the sacrifices of the Kurdish forces, the Iraqi parliament has made the decision to take away their right to vote, the two parties stated.
The KDP earlier said it does not oppose a manual recount, but has condemned the cancellation of IDP and security personnel votes as a violation of the constitution.
The party plans to appeal the decision, Khasro Goran, head of the KDP’s election office, said.
Updated at 8:15 pm