SULAIMANI (ESTA) — The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) on Tuesday expressed concern over the absence of unity between the Kurdish political parties in the disputed-Kirkuk province for the forthcoming provincial elections.
The PUK election agency in a statement expressed the party’s disappointment regarding the election in Kirkuk and other disputed territories.
The statement highlighted that the PUK has done its “utmost efforts” in order to pursue the unity of Kurds in the disputed areas.
“Unfortunately, despite the fact that no provincial elections have been held in Kirkuk for nearly 18 years, the Kurds will participate in the forthcoming election through several separate electoral lists,” the statement said.
“The PUK has been always the initiator to gather all Kurdistani parties within a single list. It had no veto on any parties and asked for no pre-conditions.”
“The PUK played its utmost leniency for the unity of Kurds in the disputed areas, however, all efforts were useless, the Kurds participate in the elections with several separate lists,” the statement added.
It also warned that the non-Kurdish parties in the area, especially in Kirkuk, “have pretty well organized themselves for the elections, they importantly look at the election.”
Iraq’s provincial elections are scheduled for Dec. 18, the country’s first local vote in a decade.
Kurdish parties seek to maintain the Kurdish votes in the disputed areas between the Kurdish and Iraqi authorities, especially in the oil-rich disputed Kirkuk province.
Earlier, The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the Communist Party announced the formation of a coalition for unity purposes in the elction.
Meanwhile, the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) and the Kurdistan Justice Group (KJG) on Monday announced the formation of a coalition for Iraq’s provincial elections in the disputed-Kirkuk province.
The KIU and KJG said they had formed the “Kirkuk Torch Coalition”, according to a press conference on Monday.
