KDP claims first place in Iraq elections

The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) says it has taken first place nationwide in Iraq’s 2025 parliamentary elections, citing early numbers showing a strong boost in voter support.

At a press conference, Ali Hussein, head of the KDP’s organizational office for al-Sulaymaniyah, Halabja, and Raparin, said the party had “secured the highest number of votes across Iraq.” He also pointed out that the KDP gained around 20,000 more votes in al-Sulaymaniyah compared to the last election — a significant increase in what has traditionally been the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s (PUK) stronghold.

Both Kurdish parties went head-to-head in several provinces. In Erbil, the KDP and PUK each fielded 30 candidates. In Duhok, the KDP dominated the ballot with 22 candidates against the PUK’s five. And in al-Sulaymaniyah, the competition was tight, with 36 candidates from each side.

Hussein didn’t hold back on his criticism of the PUK, accusing it of failing to take real steps toward forming the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). He said the PUK had been overly confident about gaining more votes in these elections, despite its lack of progress on governance issues.

Still, Hussein called for greater cooperation between Kurdish representatives in both Baghdad and the Kurdistan Region, saying such unity “serves everyone’s interests.” He also added that the people of al-Sulaymaniyah “do not reject the KDP but expect much from it,” and expressed hope that a new phase of openness and coordination was coming soon.

According to the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), overall voter turnout for the 2025 elections was just over 55%. Out of 21.4 million eligible voters, more than 12 million people cast their ballots. The general vote on Tuesday saw around 10.9 million participants, or 54% of registered voters. Meanwhile, the special vote on November 9 — reserved for security personnel — had an impressive 82.5% turnout, with 1,084,289 voters out of 1,313,980 eligible.

The official election results are expected to be released today at 6:00 p.m. local time. But even before the final count, Kurdish Prime Minister Masrour Barzani announced on Tuesday that preliminary data showed the KDP surpassing one million votes in the general election.

If those early figures hold, it would mark a major political win for the KDP — especially with its growing support in territories that were once dominated by its rival.