On Wednesday, the Kurdistan Region Parliament reached a legal quorum of 51 seats and elected a Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and Secretary of the Kurdistan Parliament for its sixth parliamentary term. 

Read More: Kurdistan Region Parliament Plans to Hold First Session in Two Years

The Kurdistan Region Parliament elected the Kurdistan Democratic Party’s (KDP) Vala Fareed as speaker, Christian lawmaker and former Ankawa mayor Ramy Syawish as deputy speaker, and re-elected Turkmen lawmaker Muna Kahveci as parliament secretary.

“The KDP Foreign Relations Office extends its warmest congratulations to the people of Kurdistan on the long-awaited resumption of the meetings of the Kurdistan Parliament, following more than two years of political deadlock,” the KDP Foreign Relations Office posted on X. 

“The resumption of parliamentary proceedings, with the participation of a parliamentary majority, represents an important step towards restoring the effective functioning of democratic institutions, strengthening political accountability, and reaffirming the principles of parliamentary democracy in the Kurdistan Region.”

The Kurdistan Region has been without an active parliament for two years after holding elections on October 20, 2024, with the KDP leading with 39 seats, followed by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) with 23 seats, and the New Generation Movement with 15.

The PUK and a number of opposition parties boycotted the parliament meeting, while 52 members of parliament, including the KDP members, backed the parliament session.

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In October, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani underlined that the Kurdistan Region Parliament should be reactivated as a crucial first step toward forming the new KRG cabinet.