Federal Supreme Court: Kurdistan Parliament's 11 Community Seats are Unconstitutional

PUKMEDIA

Kurdistan Parliament & Federal Supreme Court

On Wednesday, the Federal Supreme Court heard six cases, some of which concerned the Kurdistan Region's salaries and budget, as well as the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan's (PUK) lawsuit over the Region's electoral legislation. 
 
Jassim Mohammed Aboud, President of the Federal Supreme Court, has mandated that the upcoming parliamentary elections include at least four constituencies. In addition, he declared 11 community seats in the Kurdistan Parliament unconstitutional and ordered their elimination. 
 
The Federal Supreme Court has ruled that the Kurdistan Parliament will have 100 seats, and the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) will replace the Kurdistan Region electoral commission to oversee the Region's next parliamentary elections. 
 
The President of the Federal Supreme Court also stated, "The election law is the foundation of parliament, and the 1991 amended electoral law has been declared unconstitutional." 
 
Ziad Jabar, leader of the PUK faction in the fifth session of the Kurdistan Parliament, filed a complaint against five specific articles of the Kurdistan Parliamentary Election Law: articles 1, 9, 15, 22, and 36. After 11 rescheduled sessions, the court finally reached a decision on the matter.


PUKMEDIA