The July 25 elections for the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) changed the dynamics of Kurdish politics in Iraq; for the first time real political opposition to the two ruling Kurdish parties emerged.

The growing strength and assertiveness of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has alarmed Iraq’s neighbors and the Baghdad government. If ignored or badly handled, Kurdish aspirations have the potential to ignite violence and instability in Iraq and the region at a particularly delicate time.