SULAIMANI (ESTA) — The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) formed an alliance with the Communist Party for the upcoming Iraq’s provincial elections in the disputed-Kirkuk province.
Iraq’s provincial elections are scheduled for Dec. 18, the country’s first local vote in a decade.
The PUK, which is the second-largest party in the Kurdistan Region, has intensified its efforts, calling on Kurdish parties to partake in the provincial elections within a single electoral list.
PUK urges unity from the Kurdish parties in the disputed territories that are outside of the Kurdistan Region judicial authority, especially during the elections.
Kurdish parties seek to maintain votes and lists in the disputed areas between the Kurdish and Iraqi authorities, especially in the oil-rich disputed Kirkuk province.
Regarding the formation of the alliance with the Communist party, Rawand Mala Mahmood, the head of the PUK’s Kirkuk headquarters said, “Kurds must be united.”
“The PUK’s door is open for the interest of our people and we are ready for negotiations and it’s important for Kurds to be united,” he said.
The Kurdistan Region is excluded to participate in the provincial elections, the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) said, citing “technical reasons”.
