Residents of Iraq’s semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region are going to the polls in long-awaited parliamentary elections under the shadow of ongoing rivalries, economic instability, and unresolved disputes with Baghdad.

ARBIL, Iraq, Oct 20, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region headed to the polls on Sunday to elect a new parliament for the oil-rich region, where voters have expressed disenchantment with the political elite.

Iraqi Kurds began casting their ballots on Sunday in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq’s first parliamentary election since 2018 amid growing internal political rifts and tension between the governments in Erbil and Baghdad.