ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The five main political parties that won the largest number of votes in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region’s legislative elections in September will all be included in the next Kurdish cabinet, ending months of deadlock, a well-placed source told Rudaw.
The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which won the largest votes in the elections, will be leading the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), said the source, on condition of anonymity.
In addition, the Change Movement (Gorran), the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the Islamic Union (Yekgirtu) and the Islamic League (Komal) will be receiving ministerial positions, based on the number of votes they received, the source added.
According to the source, the KDP will head the interior ministry, as well as the ministries of natural resources, planning, education and municipalities.
Gorran will receive the ministries of Peshmarga, finance, trade and religious affairs. That means that the long deadlock over the Peshmarga ministry, which was contested between the PUK and rival Gorran, has been broken.
KDP’s long-term strategic partner the PUK, whose officials had threatened to go into opposition or even boycott the new government, has agreed to be in the new cabinet. It will have the post of deputy prime minister, as well as the ministries of culture, reconstruction, higher education and health.
The Islamic Union has secured the ministries of electricity and social affairs, Komal will be running the ministry of agriculture and a Turkmen official will become the minister of justice.
According to the official source, the Kurdish parliament will be meeting soon in one of its rare sessions since its election in September. The parliament speaker is from Gorran, and the deputy speaker from KDP.
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