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Kurds declare victory in election: Iraq
10.3.2010
By Qassim Khidhir Hamad |
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March
10, 2010
ERBIL-Hewlêr,
Kurdistan region 'Iraq', — Kurdish parties
announced majorities for Kurds in Kirkuk and other
disputed areas. Several hours after the polling
stations closed in Kirkuk city, Kurdish people went
on the street to celebrate the victory.
Patriot Union Kurdistan (PUK) and Kurdistan
Democratic Party (KDP) -owned satellite TV stations
stated that the Kurdistan Alliance leads the polls
in Kirkuk.
According to preliminary results published by the
PUK and KDP, the Kurdistan Alliance won 8 seats out
of 12 seats allocated to Kirkuk province.
The parties said PUK candidates won six seats and
KDP two. Iyad Allawi's List (Iraqya) came second and
the State of Law third in Kirkuk.
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Kurds declare victory in election |
In Kurdistan, like
elsewhere in Iraq, polling stations opened at 7 a.m.
while the majority of its inhabitants were still
sleeping since it was a day off. At that time, only
political party leaders stood in
front of the polling stations, ready to vote.
Iraqi President and General Secretary of the PUK0,
Jalal Talabani, was the first person in all of Iraq
to cast his vote. In Roshn Badrkhan School in
Sulaimaniyah city, where he voted, he called on
Iraqi people to participate in the election with all
of their energy.
“I do not think that these elections will change the
political map in Iraq. There may be little changes,”
Talabani told reporters. “I believe that the major
parties currently ruling the country will continue
to rule in the future with the participation of
other parties that want to take part.”
Until 10am, polling stations remained quiet. After
that, voters in traditional Kurdish dress began
showing up.
In Kurdistan Region, there was no curfew. People
were allowed to drive their cars and go to polling
stations in vehicles. And since it was a government
holiday, most of the shops were closed. Only a
number of restaurants and supermarkets remained open
and crowded with customers. Moreover, the roads
among the provinces and cities were not closed.
In all Iraqi cities, at 5 p.m., the polling stations
were closed. Officials immediately began counting
the votes inside polling stations.
On Monday evening, the Iraqi High Independent
Electoral Commission (IHEC) said the provinces of
Kurdistan Region record biggest voter turnouts.
Hamdiya al-Hussaini, a member of IHEC, said in a
press conference in Baghdad, “Duhok has recorded the
biggest voter turnout at 80 percent, then Erbil has
become second 76 percent and Sulaimaniyah has come
third with 73 percent.”
At night, the supporters of Kurdistan Alliance (KDP
and PUK) in Erbil, Duhok, Kirkuk, Sulaimaniyah and
the disputed areas in Mosul went to the streets to
celebrate their victory. In addition, the supporters
of Gorran Movement also celebrated victory in
Sulaimaniyah city.
According to preliminary results issued by Kurdish
parties, the Kurdistan Alliance List won 8 seats out
of 12 in Kirkuk (PUK 6 seats and KDP 2). In Erbil,
the region’s capital,www.ekurd.netthe
Kurdistan Alliance won 10 seats out of 14 (KDP 8
seats, PUK 2 seats), Gorran won 2 seats in Erbil and
the Kurdistan Islamic Union and Kurdistan Islamic
Group, each won a seat.
In Duhok province, the Kurdistan Alliance List won 8
seats out of 10 (all of them won by KDP candidates)
and the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) won the other
two seats.
In Sulaimaniyah province, both the Kurdistan
Alliance and Gorran Movement have declared victory.
The counting of votes still continues and it is not
clear yet which List leads the election in
Sulaimaniyah province. But according reports in the
centre of Sulaimaniyah, Gorran is ahead.
In Ninewa province, the Kurdistan Alliance List
said, the Kurdish List won most of the votes in the
disputed areas. The head of Kurdistan Alliance List
in Ninewa, Khasro Goran, said according to the
initial results, Kurds will win 8 to 10 seats out of
31 seats allocated for Ninewa province.
Meanwhile, Goran accused the Iraqiya List, headed by
Iyad Allawi, of fraud, particularly in the centre of
Mosul city.
“The turnout at the electoral center in Mosul city
is unacceptable,” he said.
IHEC announced that results announced by party
representatives and election observers are not
accurate, and the commission is not responsible for
the announcements. Only the commission itself has
the power to report election results.
Kurdish parties say they will not rush to form
alliances with any Shiite or Sunni political entity.
Sami Shorsh, head of the Kurdistan Alliance List in
Erbil province, said: “We will not rush to make an
alliance with any Iraqi political entities after the
election. We will wait to see which one has faith in
Kurdish rights.”
Shorsh told Niqash that Kurds are having a difficult
time with their current and former Iraqi (Shiite and
Sunni) alliances. He warned that Kurdish parties
should be very careful and united.
“Some Iraqi political parties that are participating
in the upcoming elections are against Kurdish rights
and will work to limit Kurdish constitutional
rights,” he said.
In a congratulatory message to the Iraqi people on
the occasion of ending the Iraqi legislative poll,
the president of Kurdistan Region Massoud Barzani
announced that he was insisting on Kurdish unity on
national issues.
“The people of the Kurdistan Region insist on a
mutual stance towards the national issues. The
representatives of the Kurdistan Region must act
together for the implementation of Article 140
relevant to the issues of the disputed areas.”
Copyright, respective author or news agency, niqash
org
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