ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Diplomatic missions in the Kurdistan Region welcomed Tuesday the recent intra-Kurdish rapprochement between the Region’s top political parties, while stressing the need to cooperate to hold “fair and free” elections on time. A joint statement by the diplomatic representations of the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, the European Union, France, Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Bulgaria, Poland, and Romania commended recent strides by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) to resolve tensions after the PUK’s ministerial team began attending cabinet meetings following a five-month hiatus. “It is in this spirit that we urge the Kurdistan Regional Parliament and the Kurdistan Regional Government [KRG] to take all necessary steps to ensure that elections take place without further postponement,” the statement said, The diplomatic missions further urged for “fair and free elections” by calling on relevant authorities and political parties in the Kurdistan Region “to work collaboratively” to ensure an electoral process “that adheres to international standards and upholds the rights of all citizens, including women and minorities, to participate in the democratic process.” A meeting between the politburos of the KDP and PUK on Tuesday discussed the need to conduct the Region’s already-delayed elections on time later this year, and a joint statement by both parties stressed the need to continue cooperation “as one team” and rebuilt burnt bridges between them. PUK leader Bafel Talabani said he was optimistic that the elections would occur on their scheduled time, but stressed that there are still some details pending resolution. On Sunday, the first KRG Council of Ministers meeting involving the PUK ministers, including Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani, took place, where the cabinet unanimously approved a project aimed at centralizing revenues, expenditures, and salaries across the Kurdistan Region. The PUK’s return comes as the Kurdistan Region approaches its long-anticipated parliamentary elections. On Monday, the US welcomed the return of PUK ministers to the cabinet and said it looks forward to collaborate with the KRG to “further this progress.” Washington has frequently called for both parties to resolve their disputes to address the needs of the citizens. The Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary elections are set to be held on November 18, over a year after the originally scheduled date, as the vote was postponed due to continued disagreements between the blocs over the current electoral law and the electoral commission. Speaker of the Kurdistan Region’s parliament Rewaz Fayaq announced on Tuesday that legal procedures have been completed to reactivate the electoral commission and that the legislature is waiting for the political parties to come to an agreement on amending the electoral law. The blocs are yet to reach an understanding on this issue, which could threaten a further delay in the electoral process. The KDP and PUK, while working together in the KRG, have established control over different parts of the Region, often being referred to as the “Yellow Zone” and “Green Zone.” The KDP is dominant in Erbil and Duhok provinces, while the PUK rules Sulaimani and Halabja.
