In Latest Move, PUK Enlists Iranian Muscle to Get its Way in New Cabinet

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – As political parties report they are nearly done agreeing on a long-delayed new government for the Kurdistan Region, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan remains adamant on getting the Peshmarga ministry, enlisting the help of Iranian officials who have arrived to twist arms and help the PUK get its way.

According to well-placed Rudaw sources, a senior Iranian delegation arrived in the Kurdistan Region on an unannounced visit, just days after reports that the next Kurdish cabinet has been nearly finalized by five political parties, with the PUK not granted any of the security ministerial portfolios it had been staunchly demanding.

The Iranian delegation, comprising Sardar Masjidi, a senior advisor to Qasem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s powerful Qods Force, and Mohammad Jafar Sahraroudi, chief of staff and advisor to Iran’s parliament speaker, Ali Larijani, have met with senior officials of the PUK, the Change Movement (Gorran) and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).

Party sources told Rudaw that in a meeting on Monday in Sulaimani, PUK officials called on Iran to mount pressure on Gorran and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) to grant the powerful Peshmarga ministry to the PUK.  

“The visit has been at the request of the PUK,” the source added. “Sardar Masjidi has demanded the PUK to support Prime Minister Nuri Maliki's bid for third-term as prime minister of Iraq after the April 30 parliamentary polls.”

In return, the PUK has requested three things from Iran: Convincing the parties to grant the Peshmarga ministry to PUK; advise Gorran not to create problems for the PUK in Sulaimani; and not rush the government formation – which is already nearly seven months delayed.

"After meeting with us, Sardar Masjidi secretly visited the Gorran leader Nawshirwan Mustafa and met him individually," the PUK source said. “Masjidi has demanded that Mustafa not hurry the government formation and delay it for after Iraqi legislative and Kurdistan provincial elections” at the end of this month.

The two Iranian officials also visited Erbil and met Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani and KRG President Massoud Barzani.

Months of Iranian efforts have failed to bear fruit in resolving the PUK’s internal problems, despite reciprocal visits by both Iranian and PUK officials. Iran exercises huge influence not only in Kurdistan, but in the whole of Iraq.

The Kurdistan Region held its legislative polls on September 21, but the winning parties have failed to agree on the shape of the new government. Many blame the delay on the PUK’s internal fissures, as well as its insistence on being treated as an equal partner of the KDP, despite an election rout.

In the last two weeks, two senior leaders of the PUK in Nineveh and Garmyan have resigned in protest to the party’s internal divisions and feuds.