Party corruption in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq: Context and implications

Abstract Party corruption is not only a problem in developing democracies but also in developed ones. Since its establishment in 1991, corruption among political parties has been a key feature of Kurdish governance in the Kurdistan Region. This corruption can be categorized into two periods, the first from 1991 to 2003, and the second from 2005 to the present, mainly among the ruling parties the KDP and the PUK. These two parties have ruled the region for nearly three decades, each with its geographic hegemonic zone; since 2005 they have ruled the region jointly, therefore sharing the responsibility for the mismanagement and corruption in KRG institutions. This article argues that the system of a dominant party (or parties) within a weak multi‐party system, which in Kurdistan the KDP and (to an extent until 2009) the PUK have controlled, is responsible for increasing the scope of corruption. It also argues that the dominant party has utilized the electoral system, particularly the closed party list and recently semi‐open party list, within a single electoral cycle to secure governmental positions for its own officials for a prolonged time and thus escape the electorate's control.