KDP ahead in Erbil, Duhok while PUK secures early lead in Sulaimani

Rudaw

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Initial tallies from early election results in the Kurdistan Region show the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leading in at least two of the Region’s provinces, while its rival, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), maintains a commanding lead in its Sulaimani stronghold, according to Rudaw projections compiled Sunday.

Meanwhile, Iraq’s electoral commission reported that nationwide voter turnout surpassed 80 percent.

According to Rudaw’s projections, the KDP secured a strong lead in Erbil, winning 46 percent of the votes. The PUK followed with 17.7 percent, while the opposition National Stance Movement (Halwest) received 3.2 percent, and the New Generation Movement (NGM) obtained 1.8 percent.


In the eastern province of Sulaimani, the results shifted dramatically, with the PUK dominating the vote at 71 percent. The KDP trailed with 10 percent, followed by Halwest at 8 percent, NGM at 3 percent, and the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) at 2.6 percent.

 


Meanwhile, in the northern province of Duhok, the KDP reaffirmed its dominance, capturing 54.4 percent of the votes. The PUK registered a minimal 1 percent, while the KIU secured 4.6 percent.
Early voting in Iraq saw a strong turnout on Sunday as security forces and internally displaced persons (IDPs) cast their ballots ahead of Tuesday’s general election.

Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) announced that turnout for the special voting reached 82.42 percent, with over 1.1 million security personnel and nearly 27,000 IDPs participating across the country.

Sulaimani province recorded the highest turnout nationwide at 98.16 percent, according to the IHEC. Rudaw also learned that voter turnout reached 97.17 percent in Erbil and 88.75 percent in Duhok.

The general election is scheduled for Tuesday, with more than 21 million Iraqis eligible to vote. The IHEC previously reported that over 7,700 candidates are competing for 329 parliamentary seats, including nine reserved for minority groups.