ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Bafel Talabani, co-chair of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), denied in a recent televised interview that he is pressuring his co-chair, Lahur Talabany, to leave Iraq, following a party decree last month ordering the latter politician to temporarily travel abroad. “I have not asked Lahur to leave [the country], the party has. This was for a limited time. He is free to leave or not,” Bafel Talabani told a number of Kurdish media outlets, including Rudaw Media Network, during the interview aired late Friday. “He has decided not to leave.” Lahur Talabany, the cousin of Bafel Talabani, was effectively ousted from power in July despite maintaining the title of co-chair, unleashing a series of tense encounters within the party. The cousins’ internal issues surfaced on July 8 when Bafel Talabani decided to change the heads of the PUK’s intelligence agency and counter-terrosim units, who were affiliated to Lahur Talabany, replacing them with people loyal to himself. Qubad Talabani, deputy prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Bafel Talabani’s younger brother, made the changes official a few days later. The PUK politburo in late August ordered Lahur Talabany “to travel outside of Iraq within three days, until two weeks after the announcement of the elections results.” However, the ousted politician claimed he would not leave until his “last breath.” Iraqi parliamentary elections are scheduled for October 10. Lahur Talabany said weeks after the public power struggle began that he had “temporarily” handed over power to the other co-president. However, Bafel Talabani hinted to news outlets that the co-chariship system is over - awaiting a formal decision by the party leadership to end it. Many people have described Lahur Talabany’s fall from power as a “coup”, with the politician himself describing the ordeal as a “plot” against him. However, Bafel Talabani, in the interview with Kurdish media outlets, denied the occurrence of any coup, instead insisting that his cousin was planning a coup. “People say that [July] 8 was like a coup. I want to explain that it was actually the dissolution of a coup. This party had been subjected to a coup for years… Lahur exploited security forces for a coup which was dissolved by us,” claimed Bafel Talabani. He added that his cousin had exploited his power over the party’s intelligence agency, the Zanyari, for personal gain by intervening in PUK’s internal affairs, including through elections and blackmailing leadership members. Bafel Talabani went further in his claim, saying he has “proof” that he has been poisoned and spied on. “I found a spy inside this house. I do not mean the spy of another party or country, but that of the Zanyari. Some say I have been poisoned. That’s true. I have been poisoned. I have proof that I have been poisoned inside my own house,” he said, adding that those involved and drugs have been discovered. Asked why he does not publicize the “proof,” he said he may submit it to a court in the Kurdistan Region or an international court. Lahur Talabany and his brothers - Aso, Ako, and Polad - showed up to court in mid-August and were granted bail. “After taking our testimonies and legal evidence, we showed our innocence and the esteemed judge granted us bail,” said the PUK co-leader in a statement. Days after the July 8 changes, security forces in Sulaimani raided Lahur Talabany’s iPLUS TV, which was in the final stage to be launched. The broadcaster had claimed that their employees were “detained and hurt” in the raid. “Meanwhile, they took out some of the iPLUS equipment. Then, the security force broke some of the doors and equipment and removed some of the surveillance cameras then cut power to the building.” The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemned the raid. Bafel Talabani claimed that iPLUS TV was not registered and did not have a satellite frequency as well, claiming that the broadcaster was spying on people, including Masoud Barzani, leader of the PUK’s rival Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). “Everyone had a folder” on iPLUS TV’s computers, said Bafel Talabani, claiming that scores of social media pages were administered by the employees of the broadcaster. He invited media outlets to see what was inside the hard drives later. Bafel Talabani claimed the employees of the television channel are still being paid, but have been warned not to use the money for harm. Soon after the interview was aired, iPLUS TV released a statement, denying Bafel Talabani’s claims. Bafel Talabani “has been given wrong and distorted information about iPLUS media corporation,” read a statement from the broadcaster, published on its CEO Hiwa Jamal’s Facebook account. It also said that during the channel’s ten months of preparation work they had been independent, calling on local media watchdogs to form a committee to investigate the claims about the broadcaster. Both cousins reportedly had a “positive” meeting late August with the help of US and Iranian mediation. Bafel Talabani confirmed the meeting, noting that the co-chairs have met several times since the beginning of the ordeal, including in secret meetings, but have not reached any solution. Despite admitting to the talks, the leader says chances of reconciliation with his rival are non-existent. “It’s over,” he insisted.
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