Iraq’s Kurdish region goes to polls amid concerns over economy and infighting

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 (Salar Salim/AP)

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.

The primary competitors are the two dominant Kurdish parties: the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).