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Kurdistan
Lahur Talabany, co-president of the PUK, kisses the hand of a woman at a meeting with families of martyrs in Sulaimani on July 15, 2021. Photo: handout/Lahur Talabany Facebook
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — The co-chair of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) on Thursday praised the loyalty of party members, saying the party belongs to them, after he appears to have been forced out of his leadership position earlier this week.
In a meeting with families of martyrs in Sulaimani, Lahur Talabany expressed his gratitude for “their enthusiasm and loyalty for protecting the PUK. I reaffirmed my promise that we will do everything we can to protect the PUK,” he said in a statement.
“I reiterate that the PUK is a party of its loyal members, cadres and supporters, and that the future will be for the PUK,” Talabany added, saying the party will always remain at top as long as it has this “loyal and caring base.”
Media attending the meeting were asked to leave before Talabany spoke to the gathered family members in the full conference hall. Afterwards, photos of him posing for selfies with supporters on the street were shared on social media.
Talabany appears to have been forced out of his leadership post by his co-president and cousin Bafel Talabani, who has taken over the presidency. Bafel and his brother, Qubad Talabani, changed the heads of the PUK’s intelligence agency and counter-terrorism units, replacing officials who were close to Lahur Talabany with others loyal to Bafel Talabani. He also changed his social media bios to “president” of the PUK, and official party media are now referring to Lahur Talabany as “former co-president.”
Bafel Talabani made his first public statement on these events on Thursday saying the shakeup in the party was to end the abuse of party positions for personal gain, including “smuggling, extortion, threats, and spying.”
Lahur Talabany and Bafel Talabani were elected as co-chairs of the PUK in February 2020, following years of wrangling within the party over who would succeed the late Jalal Talabani, who died in 2017. The party did not hold a congress to elect a new leader until December 2019, largely because of internal rivalries. At the congress, the party adopted a co-leadership and the cousins were elected to the posts two months later.
In a meeting with families of martyrs in Sulaimani, Lahur Talabany expressed his gratitude for “their enthusiasm and loyalty for protecting the PUK. I reaffirmed my promise that we will do everything we can to protect the PUK,” he said in a statement.
“I reiterate that the PUK is a party of its loyal members, cadres and supporters, and that the future will be for the PUK,” Talabany added, saying the party will always remain at top as long as it has this “loyal and caring base.”
Media attending the meeting were asked to leave before Talabany spoke to the gathered family members in the full conference hall. Afterwards, photos of him posing for selfies with supporters on the street were shared on social media.
Talabany appears to have been forced out of his leadership post by his co-president and cousin Bafel Talabani, who has taken over the presidency. Bafel and his brother, Qubad Talabani, changed the heads of the PUK’s intelligence agency and counter-terrorism units, replacing officials who were close to Lahur Talabany with others loyal to Bafel Talabani. He also changed his social media bios to “president” of the PUK, and official party media are now referring to Lahur Talabany as “former co-president.”
Bafel Talabani made his first public statement on these events on Thursday saying the shakeup in the party was to end the abuse of party positions for personal gain, including “smuggling, extortion, threats, and spying.”
Lahur Talabany and Bafel Talabani were elected as co-chairs of the PUK in February 2020, following years of wrangling within the party over who would succeed the late Jalal Talabani, who died in 2017. The party did not hold a congress to elect a new leader until December 2019, largely because of internal rivalries. At the congress, the party adopted a co-leadership and the cousins were elected to the posts two months later.
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