The Kurdish parliament initially set Nov. 1 a date for parliamentary and presidential elections in Kurdistan region and the ethnically mixed disputed areas claimed by both Baghdad and the Kurds. However, on Oct. 24, the parliament postponed the regional presidential and parliamentary elections for eight months after the Iraqi security forces took control of the oil-rich Kirkuk province and most of the disputed areas.

During the session, dozens of angry protestors, loyal to Barzani, broke into the parliament building and attacked journalists who were covering the parliament session at the entrance of the building.

The protestors told Rudaw that they are there to demand an apology from the lawmaker Rabun Maroof from the opposition Gorran parliamentary bloc, who was accused by the protestors of insulting the Peshmerga and President Masoud Barzani.

The chaos came under control after riot police intervened and bullets were heard as they drove out the protestors.

Barzani, 71, a veteran Kurdish leader, took over the post of president of the regional government in 2005. However, Barzani's post has sparked controversy, as his tenure expired on Aug. 19, 2017. He is also leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party since 1979.

On Oct. 16, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who is also Commander-in-Chief of Iraqi forces, ordered government forces to enter the oil-rich Kirkuk province in northern Iraq to regain control of the ethnically-mixed disputed areas.

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