As Elections Loom, Kurdistan Region Parties Remain in Deadlock

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Iraq’s Kurdistan Region is in a political deadlock by disagreements among political parties over upcoming local elections and whether the governing system of the autonomous enclave should change from presidential to parliamentary, sources say.

The discord greatly impacts the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), which has been rudderless ever since its leader, Iraq’s President Jalal Talabani, suffered a serious stroke in December and has been recuperating in Germany ever since.

The PUK has been seeking a dialogue to discuss the elections and governance issue with the breakaway Change Movement (Gorran), which in the 2009 polls made a surprise appearance to win a handsome 25 places in the 111-seat regional parliament and emerge as the largest opposition group.

According to an anonymous source the PUK wants a meeting to convince Gorran to agree to extending the regional presidency, which is held by the PUK’s ruling partner the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (KDP).

“The PUK’s senior officials believe a decision by the PUK to support the KDP’s candidate for the Kurdistan Region’s presidential election will anger its own supporters and may cost lost votes in the upcoming election,” the source told Rudaw.

Gorran says it will meet with the PUK only if the latter agrees that postponed local elections will be held no later than September and if the party backs constitutional changes that will make the Kurdistan Region a parliamentary democracy.

But favoring those demands would place the PUK at odds with its own main ally and partner, the KDP, whose leader Massoud Barzani is the KRG president and likely to seek a third four-year term in September, against the wishes of the opposition and constitutional limitations.

“The PUK is currently engaged in efforts to start a dialogue with Gorran,” admitted Azad Jundiani, the PUK’s spokesperson.  He said the PUK is in a “sensitive” situation, adding, “It is time for the PUK to sit and reevaluate its interests without compromise and hesitation.”

Jundiani said that meant meetings not only with Gorran and other parties, including KDP.

Sherko Muhammad, Gorran’s press secretary, confirmed that PUK has been pressing for a meeting. “PUK must have a clear voice about holding the election in time, the Dabashan agreement and the constitution issue,” he said, adding these are the only subjects Gorran is willing to discuss.

The Dabashan agreement refers to the venue in Sulaimani province where Gorran leader Nawshirwan Mustafa met in June 2012 with Talabani. Gorran insistrs that the two leaders had verbally agreed to return the Kurdistan Region to a parliamentary system, and that they had both declared this to the media.

Rudaw has learned that, at its meeting this week, Gorran’s senior officials voted to reject a meeting with the PUK.

Meanwhile, the PUK’s decision to participate in the election independently – not under a single banner with its ruling partner the KDP -- has caught some people by surprise. It is feared that such a move could weaken the long-term strategic agreement between the PUK and KDP.  

“It is in the PUK’s interest to participate in the elections independently. However, this doesn’t mean PUK has had a change of heart toward its previous agreements,” Jundiani wrote in his party newspaper a few months ago.

Jundiani suggested that all of his party’s details were not discussed with the KDP.

“We have a strong relationship with KDP and we share the government with them. However, PUK is an independent party and it can only inform KDP about the things that relate to both sides,” he said.

“Lack of trust among the political parties is the main problem now. Steps must be taken to restore trust among the parties,” said Gorran official Muhammad Haji.