His family announced in a statement that Ali passed away after a long struggle with COVID-19, the lung disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

“The loss of Qadiri Haji Ali, as a generous and loving leader, a place of trust and hope for the people, the supporter of the oppressed, and the independent leader of our people, is a great loss to all,” the statement added.

Ali was born in 1955 in Sulaimani city. He became a politburo member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) after the uprising against the Ba'ath regime and continued as Executive Body member until the end of 1990s.

Founded as a splinter from the PUK in 2009, Gorran initially adopted an oppositional agenda dedicated to constitutional and security sector reform. Winning the second-most votes in the 2013 regional elections, it entered into government with the KDP.

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