ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) said they have made good progress in government formation talks with their historic rival, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), but are looking for guarantees of power sharing, including the ability to collapse the cabinet.
The two ruling parties have held several meetings since the Kurdistan Region’s long-overdue parliamentary elections last October to discuss the formation of the next cabinet. Their latest meeting was on Wednesday when they reviewed a draft government formation agreement.
“The Wednesday meeting was a very good one where most parts of the previously-prepared draft were finalized,” Saadi Pira, PUK spokesperson, told Rudaw’s Sangar Abdulrahman in an interview that aired on Saturday.
He said that their cooperation on drafting the “very important” agreement has surprised many because of recent disputes between them and the heated election campaign. Any issues still unresolved will be directed to KDP leader Masoud Barzani and PUK president Bafel Talabani.
“We have discussed everything. I believe that this is a complement to the Strategic Agreement and must be the basis for the KDP-PUK deal to govern the Kurdistan Region, not only for years but more,” Pira said, referring to a previously-signed deal that allowed them to govern jointly in the past. The deal is no longer valid.
Pira, however, said the PUK wants guarantees that they will have strength in the cabinet. The position of deputy prime minister, which has been held by the PUK for many years, should have power and the cabinet should automatically dissolve if they resign, he said.
“We want this as a guarantee because in some cases you might complain and the deputy prime minister may not go to work, but the government goes on normally, disregarding it,” he said.
The incumbent deputy prime minister Qubad Talabani, a PUK member and Bafel Talabani’s brother, and the rest of the PUK team boycotted government meetings for several months in 2022 because of disputes with the KDP.
Prime Minister Masour Barzani, a KDP member, described that decision as “weird.”
“We are absolutely against the idea of turning the Council of Ministers into a place for issues. All those who have taken part in this government should express their issues, criticism and opinions - if they have any - during meetings of the Council of Ministers,” he told Rudaw at the time.
The KDP and PUK, while rivals, have shared power in government since the establishment of the Kurdistan Region in the nineties. For the past several governments, the KDP has held the posts of prime minister and president.
In the October 20 parliamentary elections, no single party won a majority, meaning a governing coalition will have to be formed, as has historically been the case. The KDP won 39 spots in the 100-seat legislature, followed by the PUK with 23.
Pira said that they have agreed on many topics.
“We have agreed on many things such as construction, services, resolving people’s issues, the salary issue, how to deal with incomes, oil policy, border crossings, relations with neighboring countries, Kurdistan Region’s status, and many other things,” he said.
Pira also said that the KDP has not labeled any positions as a red line, including those of president, prime minister, and interior minister.
