The Parliament is convening in the KRG after a year and a half break.

The parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (IKBY), which were postponed four times and held on October 20 with a two-year delay, also enabled the reopening of the Parliament, whose term ended on July 2, 2023.

The agenda for the new term of the Parliament includes the oath-taking ceremony, the election of the Speaker of the Parliament, and the presidential election of IKBY, while it is expected that the president will assign the party with the highest votes to form the new government.

MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT WILL HOLD AN OATH-TAKING CEREMONY IN THE FIRST SESSION

The IKBY Parliament is required to hold its first session today at 11:00 AM under the chairmanship of the oldest member, and 100 members of parliament must take an oath to begin their duties. In the 6th term of the Parliament, it is anticipated that the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and Secretary will be elected with the votes of at least 51 members in the 100-seat Parliament. After the election of the parliamentary leadership, the process of electing the IKBY President will begin within a 30-day period. After the completion of the candidacy processes, the Parliament will elect a new president by a simple majority.

IKBY PRESIDENT WILL ASSIGN THE FIRST PARTY TO FORM THE GOVERNMENT

The person elected as the IKBY President is expected to assign the prime ministerial candidate of the party with the most votes to form the government within 30 days. However, to establish the new government, the support of a simple majority in the Parliament, which has 100 members, is required. Since no party was able to reach the number of members needed to form a government alone in the elections, a coalition including at least 51 members is necessary.

THE POSSIBILITY OF A GOVERNMENT INCLUDING KDP AND KYB IS THE STRONGEST OPTION

In the elections held in IKBY on October 20, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) maintained its first place, while the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (KYB) retained its second place, with no significant change in the balance between the two strong parties.

The New Generation Movement, which previously announced that it would remain in opposition, is demanding the prime ministerial position as a condition for joining the government. The Kurdistan Islamic Union Party (Yekgirtu) and Goran have also announced that they will not participate in the new government.

The Kurdistan Justice Society Party (Komel) stated that it would not participate in the Parliament, claiming that "fraud occurred" in the elections. If the political parties outside of KDP and KYB change their stance in negotiations, there is a possibility that both strong parties could implement government formulas that do not include each other.

However, it is highly likely that IKBY's 10th government will also include KDP and KYB, as seen in previous cabinets. Considering KDP's influence in Erbil and Duhok, and KYB's in Sulaymaniyah and Halabja for over 30 years, the option of a government that does not include one another appears to be impractical and unlikely.

Political parties in IKBY have begun negotiations to form a government. It was emphasized that in the meeting of the KDP and KYB delegations two days ago in Sulaymaniyah, "both sides expressed their readiness to continue negotiations with each other and other parties."

In the coalition government formed 10 months after the elections in IKBY in 2018, KDP, KYB, Goran, Turkmen, and Christians were included. The New Generation, Yekgirtu, and Komel, which are on the opposition front, did not participate in the government.

According to the results of the parliamentary elections held on October 20 in IKBY, in the 100-seat parliament, of which 5 are allocated to quotas, KDP received 39, KYB 23, New Generation Movement 15, Kurdistan Islamic Union Party (Yekgirtu) 7, Kurdistan Justice Society Party (Komel) 3, Halwest (Duruş) Movement 4, People's Front 2, Goran 1, and the Kurdistan Alliance Group 1 seat.