Kurdistan main parties move toward parliament reactivation and cabinet formation after year-long political deadlock.
Citizens of the Kurdistan Region are demanding that the tenth cabinet of the Kurdistan Regional Government be formed as soon as possible. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) have agreed that the Kurdistan Parliament will be reactivated next month, and its presidency elected. For this purpose, the administrative body of the parliament is making preparations.
President Masoud Barzani has repeatedly stated in speeches and conferences that the tenth cabinet will be based on the principle of one region, one parliament, one government, and one Peshmerga force. The people of Kurdistan are encouraged that this new cabinet will be formed on the basis of unity, with a single parliament, government, and military force. Although parliamentary elections were held a year ago, the election winners have not yet been able to form a government. In the coming days, the high-level negotiating committees of the KDP and PUK will resume talks to form the tenth cabinet.
In the sixth round of Kurdistan parliamentary elections, held on October 20, 2024, the KDP won 39 seats while the PUK won 23 seats. As the two leading parties, they are continuing their efforts to form a new cabinet. For this purpose, they have met bilaterally at high levels many times, while technical delegations have also held repeated meetings, in addition to consultations with other winning parties.
Regarding the formation of the government, Kurdistan Democratic Party officials indicate that through several rounds of talks, an understanding has been achieved that paves the way for parliament to convene and for a new cabinet to be formed. Agreement has been reached on many political and administrative issues with the PUK, and discussions will continue. They expect that soon the good news of the formation of the Parliament Presidency and the new cabinet — based on one region, one government, and one military force — will be announced.
Muna Kahveci, Deputy Head of the Turkmen Reform Party, told The Kurdish Globe: “It is expected that the Parliament Presidency will be elected in September and that parliament will resume its work. What remains is the tenth cabinet of the government, which depends on how the KDP and the PUK agree to form it before the Iraqi elections.”
In this regard, Renas Izzat Doski, a Kurdistan Democratic Party MP in the sixth term of the Kurdistan Parliament, told The Kurdish Globe: “The agreement between the KDP and PUK to form a government has made good progress, and meetings between the two sides on forming a cabinet will continue. The people of Kurdistan and the situation in the region demand that the government be formed quickly. Posts should not become an obstacle, as both parties have a stronger understanding of governance and service to the people of Kurdistan.”
He also stressed: “Regarding parliament, it has been decided that the parliament will be reactivated in September, and an agreement has been reached on the Parliament Presidency. There is no time left, and parliament must start its work, whether at the beginning or middle of September. Afterwards, parliament will prepare to assign the election winners to form the government.”
Citizens are urging Kurdistan’s political parties to form a government as soon as possible, arguing that many issues remain unresolved between Erbil and Baghdad. They believe that with the formation of a strong and united government, most of these issues will be addressed. Hakim Salah Bapir, spokesperson for the PUK’s Branch 3, told The Kurdish Globe: “The meetings are going very well, and I believe parliament will meet, and a new cabinet will be formed and begin its work soon.”
He added: “If the Parliament Presidency is formed, other processes will proceed according to their own timetable and legal procedures.”
Mahmoud Mohammed, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Democratic Party, said in a press conference: “The joint delegation of the PUK and the KDP has reached an agreement on the principles of forming the government, and the distribution of posts has been largely finalized. More meetings are scheduled in the coming days, and it is expected that next month the Kurdistan Parliament will elect its presidency and begin its work.”