“We spoke with Halbousi. Our meeting was very good. What was important was that both sides agreed to turn a new page. It was a very good meeting with Mr. Halbousi, and God willing, it will continue. We have invited him to visit Kurdistan. In addition to meeting Halbousi, we also met with the Political Council of Sunnis,” President Barzani, who is also the first deputy president of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, told Rudaw’s Halkawt Aziz following a new round of meetings with Iraqi politicians in Baghdad.
He added that the main objective of the Monday meeting with the Sunni party, which was attended by Halbousi, was to meet him directly.
Taqaddum said on its Facebook account that the meeting was “friendly” and included “positive discussions.”
Halbousi was the speaker of the parliament between 2018 and 2023 before being dismissed as speaker and a member of the legislature by the Federal Supreme Court for allegedly forging a signature.
Relations between Halbousi’s Taqaddum Party and the KDP had been strained in recent years, largely due to disputes over local positions in Nineveh province and Halbousi’s controversial 2024 remark opposing the arming of “local” forces with heavy weapons. Kurdish officials, particularly those affiliated with the KDP, condemned the statement, believing it referred to the Peshmerga.
Tensions deepened further when Halbousi publicly backed the KDP’s rival candidate from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Nizar Amedi, for the Iraqi presidency last month.
Khamis al-Khanjar, leader of the Sovereignty Alliance, who attended Monday’s meeting between Barzani and Halbousi, confirmed the breakthrough, saying it came as part of his initiative.
Khanjar, an influential Sunni politician who has maintained relations with the KDP, thanked President Barzani and Halbousi “for responding to our initiative to end disputes, turn the page, and move toward a new phase of cooperation through a cordial and frank meeting. This step strengthens brotherhood among us, supports national unity, contributes to resolving all political issues, and accelerates the formation of the new Iraqi government.”
Iraq held parliamentary elections late last year, and Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi is expected to submit his cabinet next week. He has met with President Barzani twice—once in Erbil and once in Baghdad—as part of ongoing efforts to form a new government.