ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The Kurdistan Region’s parliament elected its speaker, deputy and secretary on Tuesday, paving the way for a new Kurdish government, which has been delayed for months since elections last September.
Yousef Muhammad of the Change Movement (Gorran) was confirmed as speaker by 84 votes, Jaffar Eminki of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) was elected deputy speaker by 78 votes and Fakhradin Qadr from the Islamic League of Kurdistan (Komal) was confirmed as the secretary by 73 votes.
The voting process triggered a walkout by MPs of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), who questioned the timing of the vote, just a day before Wednesday’s Iraqi legislative elections and council polls in Kurdistan.
"The timing of the session is unsuitable, and it was not by consensus, charged MP Salar Mahmoud from PUK's Green faction. "We think the process does not serve unity, and we declare we don't vote for this unhealthy process," he added.
At a news conference after the voting, the new speaker said the KDP candidate for premiership, Nechirvan Barzani, would be tasked to form the next cabinet.
“After forming the parliamentary committees, KDP's candidate Nechirvan Barzani will be tasked to form the government on Sunday," Muhammad formally announced.
The speaker vowed to broadcast all sessions of the parliament live in the interests of transparency. “We want people to be aware of the sessions immediately," Muhammad said.
PUK was supposed to get the post of parliament secretary, but that was filled by a Komal candidate, after the PUK refused to offer a candidate for the position.
The new deputy speaker reaffirmed that the PUK would get its own share if it decided to take part in the government. "The post of the secretary of parliament will be talked about by KDP's negotiation delegation (with PUK)," said Eminki.
The PUK has officially remained undecided about participating in the next government, as it insists on getting the interior ministry, a request rejected by the KDP so far.
In an interview with Rudaw this week, Premier Barzani said that nothing was final, and that there was no “red line” on any posts for the PUK.
