No big surprises in Iraqi Kurdistan the day after the parliamentary elections. Despite hopes for change, the two parties that have shared power in the region for 30 years have once again come out on top.
2 mins
With our correspondent in Souleymanieh, Lucas Lazo
As in 2018, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) in Souleymanieh and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (PDK) in Erbil consolidated their position in the Kurdish Parliament. A performance that would maintain the status quo in the region, to the great dismay of this voter: “ Honestly, not only me, but the entire Kurdish nation, we would have hoped for a different result and the departure from power of these two main parties. So that our situation improves, at least a little: the quality of life, our salaries… But that hasn’t happened. »
For Abu Bakr, a fatalist, these two parties are too rooted in society to be able to get rid of them. “ At least the PDK and the PUK are Kurds and not strangers. And then, we can’t go against these two political forces, because they are part of us, honestly. Our family members, our friends, are in one way or another associated with these parties, it’s impossible to go against that “, he said.
The only surprise is that the populist New Generation group doubles its number of seats and comes third. Popular with young people and probably driven by increasing participation, it is a sign of hope for some. “ If such a young party can achieve such a performance, it means that they will only progress in the coming years. And if the oppositions come together, they can gain influence and confront the two main parties that govern us », Estimates Jalal, retired.
An influence that still remains to be demonstrated, while negotiations for the formation of a new government for the region have already begun.
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