KDP takes election win: The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) was the best performing group in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) during the 12 May general election, taking 25 seats, the same as in the previous poll in 2014. The rival Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) returned with 18 seats, three fewer than last time. The Change Movement (Gorran) had been hoping to make up ground on the region’s two main parties, following the calamitous independence referendum in September last year, but in fact it went backwards, winning just five seats compared to nine in 2014.
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