BAGHDAD Reuters) -Masoud Barzani, the Iraqi Kurdish leader who first took up arms against Saddam Hussein as a teenage guerrilla, remains a towering figure in Kurdish politics as Iraq heads into its November 11 election.

Though he no longer holds an official post, Barzani’s Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) is urging a strong Kurdish turnout to safeguard regional interests and strengthen its hand in fraught negotiations with Baghdad.

Barzani’s political journey has been shaped by decades of rebellion, betrayal, and uneasy truces with successive Iraqi governments. Now in his late 70s, he continues to wield influence behind the scenes, often referred to as "President” in Kurdish media and diplomatic circles.

His legacy looms large over the race for seats in the national parliament in Baghdad, a contest that could either reinforce Kurdish autonomy or expose deepening fractures within the Kurdish political landscape.

A strong KDP performance would give Barzani’s camp more leverage in disputes with the central government over oil revenues and budget allocations — issues that have sharply escalated tensions between Erbil and Baghdad in 2025.

A weak showing, however, could embolden rival Kurdish factions and strengthen the central government’s position.

FROM MOUNTAIN FIGHTER TO POLITICAL POWER BROKER

Barzani's long career has been marked by cunning and patience, qualities that helped the Kurds in northern Iraq to survive brutality under Saddam.

Following the 1991 Gulf war, the Kurds rose up against Saddam's........

© Al Monitor