Iraqi Kurds share views on the legislative elections in the autonomous region next week. One Iraqi Kurd says he doesn't believe "this elections will be better because we didn't experience any significant improvement in the previous elections," while another says "this election will be better. We have witnessed significant difference in the new government." Kurdistan is seen as relative oasis of stability in the turbulent Middle East and has historically been attractive to foreign investors thanks to its close ties to the United States and Europe. But beneath the shiny skyscrapers of regional capital Arbil and the modern highways, activists and opposition figures point to the same issues that plague Iraq more broadly: corruption, political repression and cronyism practiced by those in power. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES