MESOP INSIDE KURDISTAN – IRAN / THE ELECTIONS & THE KURDS

Record number of candidates run for city councils in Iran’s Kurdistan

14 May 2017 – ERBIL, Kurdistan Region— Over 83,000 candidates have registered in Iran’s Kurdistan to run for offices in city and provincial councils as the country goes to polls on Friday.The number of the registered candidates is considerably larger than in previous elections when hopefuls were often blocked to run, according to data from the last elections. An increasing number of candidates have been cleared to run for offices this year, a break from previous years’ strict regulations set by the powerful Guardian Council which supervises elections and approval of candidates.

Official data show that the council has blocked around 3000 hopefuls in Kurdish regions of the country this year.Election for city councils have regularly been held since 1998 when the so-called moderate forces took control of both the government and parliament. A week-long election campaign kicked off on Saturday to help establish the candidates most of whom have never held offices in the past.

The elections for city councils across the country takes place simultaneously with the presidential elections on May 19.Iran’s Kurdish opposition groups have called for a boycott of the elections which they view as undemocratic and discriminatory.

The Kurdish vote is likely to play a kingmaker role as the race between the two main presidential contenders, incumbent President Hasan Rouhani and his conservative opponent Ebrahim Raisi, is expected to be tight. The race for city and provincial assemblies in Kurdish inhabited areas is marked by severe ethnic competition between Kurdish and Azeri candidates with both groups trying to secure more legislative offices in regions where both have territorial claims. Kurds have in the past accused Iranian authorities of supporting Shiite Azeris in provinces like Western Azerbaijan where Kurds have had fewer offices in proportion to their population, they say.  Official statistics show that only 11 of the 40 local mayors are Kurdish even in areas with clear Kurdish majority, something Rouhani said his administration would address during the last election campaign. www.mesop.de