Kurds voted Sunday in parliamentary elections for the first time since 2013, an effort to kick-start a stagnant political scene in northern Iraq that has been beset by competing visions for the future of the autonomous region. It is also the first time Kurds have gone to the polls after holding a referendum last year on independence from Iraq. Sunday’s election and the battle for the presidency of Iraq have highlighted the competing visions for the Kurdistan government. Gorran had initially opposed the timing of the referendum but eventually supported holding it in September 2017 amid intense political pressure. “This election will be the last chance to correct the political process in Kurdistan,” he said.

Source: Washington Post September 30, 2018 18:40 UTC