The KDP President Masoud Barzani chaired the KDP leadership meeting today and decided to hold the 14th congress on November 3, 2022, in Duhok.


A senior KDP cadre Ali Awni said, "The agenda of the meeting will be to discuss the latest needs of the congress and how to conduct the congress and solve any shortcomings, so in general, will be discussed about the 14th congress of the Kurdistan Democratic Party."

The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) was founded in 1946 and is 76 years old.


The run-up to the KDP's 14th congress was minor local elections and plenums held in the cities of the Kurdistan region. However, many KDP members expressed their grievances with the run-up elections to congress and accused Masrour Barzani, the KDP's most powerful leader, of putting aside KDP members backed by Nechirvan Barzani, KDP vice president and Kurdistan Region President. 


Sayed Mohammed Tawgozi, a KDP senior in Sulaimani, said in a statement that the KDP's fourth branch members, KDP's office in Sulaimani, will hold a press conference to reveal the fraud committed against them in the run-up elections with evidence to the public. Tawgozi and his friends are loyal to Nechirvan Barzani, according to people close to them. 


"We are not alone, and other people will come with us, but we will speak at the congress and expose the frauds about the interference of KDP intelligence agency Parastin in the elections," Tawgozi added.


Many commentators and KDP analysts believe that Masrour Barzani will be elected the new KDP president in the upcoming congress, while Nechirvan Barzani will be retired.


KurdSat has learned that the congress will be held at the University of Duhok, and most preparations are done. 


The PKK has held 13 congresses since its founding in 1946, eight during Mustafa Barzani (Barzani Senior) and five during the reign of Masoud Barzani (Barzani Junior).


The last Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) congress was held in late December 2010 in Erbil; the party has not held a congress for 12 years, while according to the party's internal rules must hold a congress every four years.


The President stressed the importance of coordinating efforts and positions between Iraq and the Czech Republic on issues of mutual interest to achieve security and stability at the regional and international levels.


Although the KDP is the first modern Kurdish party founded to combat feudalism and class differences, the Barzani family led by Mala Mustafa Barzani soon dominated the party, and most of its senior positions were and still are held by the family members. 


A faction split from the KDP in the 1960s partly because they wanted to avoid Barzani's influence from taking over every decision made in the party. 


The KDP now occupies many senior positions in the Kurdistan Region Government (KRG); Barzani family members head the offices of the region's presidency, the prime minister and key ministries.