Jailed Kurdish opposition leaders’ parties face election defeat

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Two Kurdish opposition political parties, whose leaders are currently behind the bars, have faced election defeat, paving the way for a newly-established party to step in and secure the third or fourth place, after the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), according to results projected by Rudaw. 

The Sulaimani-based New Generation Movement (NGM), the Region's main opposition, won nine seats in Iraq's 2021 legislative elections, and garnered 15 seats in Kurdistan Region's October 2024 parliamentary polls. 

However, the NGM performed very poorly in Tuesday’s federal general elections, according to results projected by Rudaw’s Election Desk.

Shaswar Abdulwahid, the party's leader and founder, was jailed by Sulaimani security forces in mid-August and has been sentenced to five months over charges pertaining to making serious threats against others, their property, or their reputation. 

His NRT news channel earlier this month tried to air an interview, conducted over a phone call, but the program was barred by security forces following a decree by the ministry of culture. 

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has also auctioned off many of his properties due to his failure to repay loans owed to the government. 

Abdulwahid's absence from the election campaign and the auctioning of his properties have apparently had a significant impact on the party’s weak performance.

The results do not include early voting from Sunday, during which the ruling parties traditionally received the massive support.

The People’s Front (Baray Gal), whose leader Lahur Talabany has been jailed since late August, is also based in Sulaimani. The party suffered a major setback in Tuesday’s polls, according to Rudaw’s projected results.

Lahur Talabany is a former co-president of the PUK. He was arrested following a violent standoff between his armed loyalists and security personnel. Sulaimani security forces (Asayish) then released what they said were confessions from a group linked to Talabany, detailing a plot to assassinate PUK leader Bafel Talabani. Baray Gal has denied the accusations.

Baray Gal stated during the election campaign for the Iraqi elections that the imprisonment of its leader had made it almost impossible to carry out a physical campaign, adding that most of their campaigning was conducted online.

The National Stance Movement (Halwest), which was established by lawmaker Ali Hama Saleh in 2024, has made big gains during the federal elections. The party won four seats in Kurdistan Region's parliamentary polls last year. 

“If we obtain a good number of seats, we will participate in the Iraqi government," Saleh had said during the election campaign. 

The KDP is leading in Erbil and Duhok provinces, while the PUK holds the lead in Sulaimani province — consistent with traditional voting patterns, according to Rudaw projection. 

The KDP appears to be the main winner among Kurdish parties in the elections. The party's deputy president announced late Tuesday that they have gained over a million votes. 

"I thank my dear brother Mr. Nechirvan [Barzani] who first announced the one-million-vote challenge," Masrour Barzani said.

Nechirvan Barzani, Kurdistan Region President and KDP deputy president, challenged his party’s voters to push its total votes beyond one million.