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KDP Wins Iraqi Kurdish Parliamentary Election, Commission Says

Employees of Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) count votes at the end of the parliamentary election, at a polling station in Erbil, the capital of Iraq's semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region, on October 20, 2024.
Employees of Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) count votes at the end of the parliamentary election, at a polling station in Erbil, the capital of Iraq's semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region, on October 20, 2024.
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KDP Wins Iraqi Kurdish Parliamentary Election, Commission Says

Employees of Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) count votes at the end of the parliamentary election, at a polling station in Erbil, the capital of Iraq's semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region, on October 20, 2024.
Employees of Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) count votes at the end of the parliamentary election, at a polling station in Erbil, the capital of Iraq's semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region, on October 20, 2024.

The ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) came first in a parliamentary election in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq, winning 39 seats, the election commission said on Wednesday, positioning it to lead the next regional government.

The KDP's historic rival and junior coalition partner in government, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), was second with 23 seats, the commission told a news conference.

It said turnout among registered voters was reported at 72%.

The Iraqi Kurdistan Parliament has 100 seats with five reserved for minority groups.

With opposition parties weak, the KDP and PUK, which have been sharing power since 1992, are likely to continue governing together, but the results suggest that Masoud Barzani's KDP will take a dominant position.

Originally planned for 2022, the elections were repeatedly delayed by disputes between the KDP and PUK.

Unresolved disagreements between the two major political parties are expected to complicate the formation of a new government, analysts and regional officials expect.

The largest Kurdish opposition party, New Generation, was a distant third with 15 seats.

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UN Peacekeeping Mission in South Lebanon Has Recorded over 30 Incidents Resulting in Damage

A Lebanese army soldier stands near UN peacekeepers (UNIFIL) vehicles in Marjayoun, near the border with Israel, amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, southern Lebanon October 29, 2024. REUTERS/Karamallah Daher
A Lebanese army soldier stands near UN peacekeepers (UNIFIL) vehicles in Marjayoun, near the border with Israel, amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, southern Lebanon October 29, 2024. REUTERS/Karamallah Daher
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UN Peacekeeping Mission in South Lebanon Has Recorded over 30 Incidents Resulting in Damage

A Lebanese army soldier stands near UN peacekeepers (UNIFIL) vehicles in Marjayoun, near the border with Israel, amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, southern Lebanon October 29, 2024. REUTERS/Karamallah Daher
A Lebanese army soldier stands near UN peacekeepers (UNIFIL) vehicles in Marjayoun, near the border with Israel, amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, southern Lebanon October 29, 2024. REUTERS/Karamallah Daher

The UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon says it has recorded over 30 incidents resulting in damage to UN property or premises or injuring peacekeepers
Andrea Tenenti, spokesman for the mission known as UNIFIL, told a video press conference from Beirut Wednesday that it attributed about 20 of the incidents to Israeli military fire or actions, “with seven being clearly deliberate.”
In an incident Tuesday, he said, a rocket likely fired by Hezbollah or an affiliated group hit UNIFIL’s headquarters in Naqura, setting a workshop on fire, with some peacekeepers suffering minor injuries, according to The Associated Press.
The origin of the fire couldn’t be determined for about a dozen incidents, he said.
“What has been very concerning are incidents where peacekeepers performing their monitoring tasks, as well as our cameras, lighting and entire watch towners, have been deliberately targeted,” Tenenti said.
He stressed that the actions of both Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters are putting peacekeepers in danger, whether through deliberate acts or crossfire.
“Despite a very tense situation, UNIFIL continues to stay in contact with Lebanese and Israeli authorities urging de-escalation,” he said.
Even with the dramatic surge in exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah in the past few weeks, Tenenti said UNIFIL has also been working hard behind the scenes to coordinate the delivery of humanitarian aid by UN agencies and their local partners.