Implementing Multi-Constituency System Achieves Balance in Parliament

Reports 05:14 PM - 2024-02-20

Kurdistan Parliament

The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan's (PUK) complaint about electoral law in the Kurdistan Region is set to be heard by the Federal Supreme Court of Iraq tomorrow. The court had already rescheduled 11 hearings on the case. An election specialist, on the other hand, claims that a multi-constituency system ensures that provinces are allocated seats fairly, regardless of the number of voters.

Multi-Constituency Will Protect the Provinces

Rebin Abubakr, a university lecturer and elections specialist, told PUKMEDIA that the Federal Court will make a decision tomorrow about the number of constituencies for the Kurdistan parliamentary elections.
 
Abubakr stated that the multi-constituency system ensures fair allocation of seats for provinces, regardless of the number of voters, to protect each province's representation and prevent one province from infringing on another's rights.
 

Multi-Constituency Will Balance Power in the Parliament

Hawnyaz Sami from the PUK Election Bureau stated to PUKMEDIA that having four constituencies for the next electoral process in the Kurdistan Region will guarantee each province the appropriate number of seats in the parliament and that a single constituency would lead to a reduction in seats for provinces with lower voter turnout compared to those with higher turnout.
 
Sami stated that the significance of four constituencies lies in preventing any province from infringing upon the rights of another province, hence establishing a balance of power in parliament where representatives are allocated based on population.
 

Seven Kurdish parties agree on multi-constituencies

Previously, seven Kurdish political parties convened at the PUK Political Bureau headquarters in Sulaymaniyah on November 3, 2023. They reached an agreement to implement a four-constituency electoral system based on provinces' populations and the IHEC’s biometric registration to be the standard for all elections' requirements.

The parties included the PUK, Kurdistan Democratic Party, Gorran Movement, Kurdistan Justice Group, Kurdistan Islamic Union, Communist Party of Kurdistan, and Kurdistan Labour and Toilers Party.
 

Nearly 4 million citizens are eligible to vote in Kurdistan Region

Iraq's IHEC reports that 3,789,405, or about 3.8, voters are qualified to participate in the Kurdistan Parliamentary elections. However, as of February 20, 2024, over 2.35 million people in the Kurdistan Region have biometric voting cards.
 
The IHEC will rely on biometric voting cards for the upcoming election in the Kurdistan Region. Voters who do not renew or obtain these cards will not be able to vote. The IHEC has prolonged the deadline for voter registration and renewal in the Kurdistan Region by 10 days to allow more citizens to register.


PUKMEDIA