ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) convened on Wednesday and urged the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) to end its cabinet boycott, following a week of rising political tensions over parliament resumptions initiated by the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).
The KRG council of ministers on Wednesday urged the PUK ministerial team to “resume their work and duties within the Kurdistan Regional Government, and present any observations, comments, or proposals to be discussed and resolved within the framework of the Council's meetings.”
Relations between the KDP and PUK came under heavy strain last week, when the former successfully led an effort to reactivate the Kurdistan Parliament after a two year paralysis since the 2024 elections. The PUK responded by withdrawing its officials from the KRG, threatening reciprocal actions if the KDP proceeded with electing the Region’s presidency and the government.
On Monday, President Masoud Barzani pressed the PUK to settle its disputes with the KDP through dialogue and put an end to the political crisis. KDP spokesperson Mahmoud Mohammed subsequently stated that they stand “ready” to negotiate with the PUK.
The KRG Council of Ministers “welcomed and expressed support for President Masoud Barzani’s [KDP leader] call regarding a meeting of political parties and resolving issues through dialogue to strengthen the political and democratic system and the legitimate, constitutional institutions of the Kurdistan Region,” their statement read.
Ministers of Peshmerga, agriculture, planning, higher education, and culture, in addition to multiple other senior officials, are affiliated with the PUK.
PUK media shared a meeting of their party’s ministerial team in Sulaimani on Monday.
The withdrawal of the PUK from the government has resurfaced fears of backsliding into a ‘Two-Administrations’ arrangement of sharing power between the two ruling parties. Between 1998 and 2006, the PUK administered Sulaimani province while the KDP exercised jurisdiction over Erbil and Duhok. Both operated their own governments and parliaments and received a separate budget share from Baghdad.
KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said earlier in the week that the Iraqi government has decided to allocate the disputed 2027 budget share to the Kurdistan Region as a “unified region.”
The renewed crisis between the two ruling Kurdish political parties prompted remarks from US Special Envoy to Iraq and Syria Tom Barrack, who said Wednesday that Washington supports “a strong, united Kurdistan Region that reflects the Region’s diversity.”
“Lasting unity can only be achieved by devolving authority, empowering local government, strengthening institutions and promoting greater transparency,” he wrote in a post on X, following a meeting with PUK political bureau member Darbaz Kosrat Rasool and KRG natural resources deputy minister Ahmed Mufti.
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