The Political Marketplace Inside Kurdistan's Parliament

When Vote Buying Is Punished but Political Trading Is Allowed

Knêr Abdullah | Exclusive to iKurd.net
Translated by iKurd.net from Kurdish Westganews

A New Model of Political Defection and Political Bargaining

In established democratic systems (where laws against political defections and legal restrictions are in place, as in many advanced parliaments), a parliamentary seat is not an individual’s personal property. Rather, it is a trust placed in an individual by voters on the basis of a political party’s platform and identity.

In these systems, strict laws are in place to prevent the buying and selling of people’s votes. These laws clearly state: “Any member of parliament who leaves their party or votes against the political direction of the electoral list under which they were elected immediately loses their parliamentary mandate and seat.”

Unfortunately, when we look at the political reality and parliamentary experience in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, we see that this practice has been turned on its head, giving rise to a new model of political defection. Here, a member of parliament may win a seat on the basis of a party’s identity and the votes it receives, only to distance themselves from the party or leave it entirely after securing the seat and enjoying its privileges.

Hardi Salah leaves the PUK, November 4, 2026. Video: K24 TV/via iKurd.net.

This has become a strange and deeply contradictory phenomenon. Under the guise of independence, a member of parliament presents themselves as an independent figure. Yet, in reality, this is neither a matter of conscience nor the result of ideological differences.

Instead, it is simply an open marketplace for political bargaining and switching sides, where individuals seek to increase their own value in political negotiations and power-sharing arrangements.

When a member of parliament enters parliament with the votes of thousands of a party’s supporters and members, only to turn that seat into their personal property, they effectively disrupt the balance of power within parliament and directly undermine the will and expectations of the voters.

The only action the party can take in response is to expel that individual from its ranks. But the main question remains unanswered: What happens to the parliamentary seat that was originally secured through the votes of the people and the organizational efforts of that party?

When there is no law to prevent such political defections, this legal vacuum creates political alienation within society.

In other words, citizens and voters lose faith in the ballot box and begin to ask: “What is the point of voting for a list if, the very next day, the member of parliament takes the seat I helped secure and uses it for their own personal interests?”

If the law punishes the buying and selling of votes on election day, how can it allow the same kind of political trading to take place openly inside parliament under the name of independence? In this way, the democratic process loses its true meaning.

Instead of serving as a tool for the people, a parliamentary seat becomes an instrument of personal deals and transactions.

PUK’s Hardi Salah talks about Barzani’s KDP party ruling in Erbil, September 1, 2024. Video: Channel8.com/via iKurd.net.

Therefore, there is a major gap in the legal framework of the Kurdistan Parliament. Instead of preventing political defections, the existing legal framework allows an individual to take the parliamentary seat with them. This amounts to rewarding political misconduct and a breach of ethical principles.

The time has come for the Kurdistan Parliament and the Region’s lawmakers to take this issue seriously, draw a clear line against this political misconduct, and introduce a law establishing that a parliamentary seat belongs not to an individual, but to the voters.

Whenever a member of parliament abandons the political direction of the party under whose list they were elected or leaves that party, they should immediately lose their seat, which should then be returned to the party’s list. Only in this way can dignity be restored to parliament, public trust in the democratic process be rebuilt, and citizens’ votes be protected from being sacrificed for private interests.

A prominent Kurdish writer, journalist, civil society activist, and advocate for women’s rights, she has dedicated her career to promoting gender equality, democracy, and human rights. She is the author of 17 published books, Editor-in-Chief of Tawar Magazine, and a former university lecturer and media professional, with extensive experience in research, international advocacy, and public engagement.

Knêr Abdullah, a prominent Kurdish writer, journalist, civil society activist, and advocate for women’s rights, she has dedicated her career to promoting gender equality, democracy, and human rights. She is the author of 17 published books, Editor-in-Chief of Tawar Magazine, and a former university lecturer and media professional, with extensive experience in research, international advocacy, and public engagement.

This article was originally published in the Kurdish language in Westganews on November 4, 2026.

The views expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of iKurd.net or its editorial team.