Kurdistan’s overdue parliamentary elections are set to take place on 6 June 2024. Judging by previous election cycles, however, their occurrence relies on a precarious political balancing act, with unpromising prospects. Kurds across Kurdistan have managed to safeguard stability, security, and thriving economies, standing in stark contrast to the mayhem and violence that characterises the wider region. Yet, creating a democratic island amid the turmoil of the Middle East has been profoundly challenging. Democratic elections are one of the key routes to achieving this objective. Introduction More than a centenary has passed since Kurdistan, the homeland of the Kurds, was partitioned. The prospect of an independent Kurdistan followed the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in the aftermath of World War …