Kurdistan Parliament fails to elect Leadership, Interim Speaker resigns

Shafaq News/ The Kurdistan Parliament failed to elect its new leadership council Wednesday after a session was derailed by a lack of quorum.

According to Shafaq News correspondent, only 26 of the 100 members attended the session, falling far short of the number required to proceed.

Interim Speaker Mohammed Suleiman announced his resignation in protest at the impasse, saying during a press conference, “There is no readiness to elect the leadership council, and the quorum is not met. I am not willing to remain in this position.”

The deadlock deepened after several parties including the KDP and the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU), withdrew from the session, breaking the quorum needed to move forward with the vote.

Tensions between the KDP, which holds 31 seats, and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), which controls 18 seats, have escalated as both sides accuse each other of political maneuvering to undermine the democratic process.

The KDP had put forward Vala Fareed and Halgurd Sheikh Najib as candidates for leadership council positions, while the PUK nominated Shalaw Kosrat Rasul and Miran Mohammed, seeking to challenge the KDP’s influence and push for more balanced power-sharing. The New Generation Movement, which holds nine seats, proposed Kurdawan Jamal as its candidate.

Despite parliamentary elections in October 2024, political disputes also have stalled the formation of a new government and delayed critical leadership appointments.

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani urged the parties to engage in dialogue and prioritize the public interest. “We need peaceful campaigning and solutions that serve the needs of the Kurdish people,” he said in a statement.