The Iraqi Election Commission supervised the Gorran (Change) Movement’s conference today, April 26, aimed at resolving the party’s longstanding internal deadlock. However, the conference failed to meet the required legal quorum, leaving the leadership dispute unresolved. The Election Commission will now submit a report to the Council of Commissioners, which will determine the next steps for the movement.

Context: The Gorran Movement is currently divided between two rival factions:

• The Zargata Hill faction, led by Chia Nawshirwan Mustafa (son of Gorran’s late founder Nawshirwan Mustafa), which draws its name from Gorran’s original headquarters at Zargata Hill in Sulaimani.
• The Kurdsat faction, led by Dana Majeed, who was appointed as interim president by Omar Sayyid Ali—the movement’s second president after Nawshirwan Mustafa’s death. This faction operates from a new office located in the Kurdsat neighborhood of Sulaimani.

In an effort to resolve the internal dispute, the Iraqi Election Commission designated a neutral venue in Sulaimani and set specific participation criteria: only the 2,126 individuals registered as Gorran founding members in 2017 were eligible to attend, and at least 1,063 members (50%) needed to be present to meet quorum.

The Zargata Hill faction declined to participate in today’s conference, maintaining that they had already held their own leadership selection process on April 5, although it was ruled invalid due to the absence of Election Commission supervision. The Kurdsat faction proceeded with today’s event, but turnout was significantly below the required threshold:

• 435 members aligned with the Kurdsat faction attended.
• 12 members affiliated with the Zargata Hill faction attended.
• 447 total attendees were present — well short of the 1,063 needed to proceed.

As a result, the Election Commission representatives withdrew from the venue without holding leadership elections. The leadership question remains unresolved, and Gorran’s internal conflict continues.

Analysis: Today’s failed conference illustrates the deeper structural collapse of the Gorran Movement.

The dispute between the Zargata Hill and Kurdsat factions is not merely a struggle over political direction. At its core, the conflict centers on control of Gorran’s substantial assets—its headquarters and properties across the Kurdistan Region, estimated to be worth between four and five million dollars. Whoever controls the Gorran name effectively controls these holdings.

Gorran’s original political mission — challenging the entrenched power of the KDP and PUK — has long since been abandoned. Under Omar Sayyid Ali’s leadership, the movement shifted away from opposition and toward participation in coalition governments, gradually losing its ideological distinctiveness. Omar’s leadership ultimately reduced Gorran from a peak of 25 seats in 2009 to just one seat by 2024. His departure left a fractured organization, vulnerable to the kind of factional struggles now playing out.

Chia Nawshirwan Mustafa initially welcomed the weakening of Gorran under Omar’s leadership, believing he could later step in to revive the movement. However, by the time he moved, the collapse was too deep to reverse. Most of Gorran’s original base had already defected or disengaged, leaving behind a shell that neither faction can now meaningfully claim.

Today’s low turnout—despite election commission supervision and clear rules—confirms that Gorran’s original constituency has largely evaporated. Neither faction could mobilize even half of the founders, reflecting a profound loss of public trust and organizational capacity.

In the end, today’s events suggest that Gorran is no longer in a political contest over ideas or programs. It is now engaged in a prolonged and bitter dispute over the division of its remaining assets and symbolic legacy. Unless a broader restructuring occurs — unlikely given current dynamics — Gorran’s future looks set to continue in legal and political limbo, marking the end of its once transformative role in Kurdish politics.