SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region – Although the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) emerged with the most seats in the Region’s September 30 parliamentary election, it did not secure an outright majority. Now it must reach out to its nearest rivals to build a governing coalition. The Change Movement (Gorran) came third in the election race. A member of the party’s national assembly told Rudaw it had been contacted by the KDP to discuss the new government. However, other parties – including the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), which came second, and Komal, which increased its share of seats – say they are yet to be called. “We don’t want to waste time in discussions on forming the government. Other parties are aware there has been constant phone conversations between us and it is now clear how the government will be formed,” a KDP official told Rudaw. “There are also continuous phone conversations with the PUK and Gorran. We want to create appropriate conditions for an agreement by the time negotiations start,” he added. “We don’t want a broad-based government or a government formed by two parties. Those participating should stay in the government until the end,” said Arif Tayfur, a member of the KDP politburo. KDP officials will meet with all parties that secured seats in the coming weeks, he said. This does not mean they will all be included, however. The new parliament met on November 6 – presided over, as per protocol, by its oldest member. A new speaker of parliament is yet to be elected. “The KDP will elect the speaker by a majority vote as a last resort,” Tayfur said. “But we want to have an agreement on this matter. If the PUK agrees to take the post of parliament speaker in order for the position of deputy prime minister to go to Gorran, the speaker will be elected. Other government positions will be negotiated like parliament positions as a package.” Farid Asasar, a PUK leadership member, said his party has prepared a package for discussions on forming the government. “We have told the KDP there should be real participation and ministers should have full power to make decisions,” he said. “Our top demand is deputy prime minister. We also think it is our right to take the post of parliament speaker and some ministries.” The PUK won 21 seats in the Region’s parliamentary election. In the outgoing government, the party holds the office of deputy prime minister and the ministries of health, reconstruction, martyrs, culture, and higher education. Gorran meanwhile holds the sear of parliamentary speaker, the ministries of finance, Peshmerga, and religious affairs, and the head of the investment body. “The national assembly will decide the party’s position,” the Gorran national assembly member said. “Most assembly members want the party to go into opposition.” “If we participate, we will not think of taking the post of parliamentary speaker. The PUK insists on taking the position of deputy prime minister so that Gorran doesn’t take part in government,” he added. Saadi Pira, the PUK’s spokesperson said: “We are prepared for dialogue and are waiting for the KDP, which has informed the PUK they have prepared a committee to discuss these matters with other parties.” The KDP wants to downsize the government. In the current cabinet, Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani formed a committee headed by cabinet secretary Nechirvan Ahmad to prepare a project to scale down the KRG. The KDP wants an 11-ministry cabinet. “This project will be implemented in the last two years of the new government, although there might still be two deputies for prime minister by the beginning of the cabinet,” said a KDP official, who did not wish to be named. “Ministries of electricity and natural resources will be combined, agriculture, water resources and environment will be combined, industry and communication and transportation will be combined too. The ministry of martyrs will be turned into a body. The ministry of higher education will be turned into a body within the council of ministers,” he added.
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