Gorran seeks security posts, ministry shares in new KRG cabinet

21-01-2019
Rudaw
Tags: Kurdistan election Gorran KDP Kurdish politics
A+ A-
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — In the new government cabinet, the Change Movement (Gorran) is seeking security positions within the Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC) in addition to ministerial posts and possibly the vice presidency.

"The Change Movement wants a post within the Kurdistan Region Security Council the third-highest position within the Council," said a member of Gorran’s National Assembly on the condition of anonymity.

The member added: "Gorran is seeking posts within the Peshmerga and interior ministries, too."

"Our involvement in these two ministries and the Security Council is red line for us and must happen," he said.

They also want another three “service” sector ministerial posts and one other high ranking leadership position in the government, such as the post of the Kurdistan Region vice presidency.

The presidency’s office was dissolved in 2017. Its reactivation would require parliamentary passage.

The Kurdistan Region held a parliamentary election on September 30. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) won 45 seats, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) 21, and Gorran came third with 12 in the 111-seat legislature.

Gorran formed a three-member delegation including incumbent MP Ali Hama Salih, and party members Dana Abdulkarim and Aras Wali to survey the number of posts within ministry and the security council.

"Gorran has already surveyed the small and big posts in the Kurdistan Region and knows how many posts are in each ministry. Gorran has put forth the survey in its meetings with the KDP and expressed that Gorran wants a 12 percent share in each ministry and 12 percent of share of posts in the Kurdistan Region Presidency as well."

In the new cabinet, posts will be given out per party election share and points. The KDP will take posts per its 57 points while the PUK per its 27 points and Gorran 16.

To speed up KRG cabinet formation on January 15, Gorran met with a special KDP delegation in Sulaimani, then issuing a joint statement.

"The meeting took place in a responsible atmosphere with the spirit of joint work and togetherness emphasized. The speeding up of the formation of the government was stressed on the basis of much mutual understanding to bring about grassroots reform and provide services," it read.

In the meeting the two sides decided to form two committees to be tasked with drafting the government's agenda and point out the parties' shares in the government.


The Gorran source said: "The committees will outline the government agendas, laws and projects that must be resolved in the next four years and necessary time be given to drafting the  constitution of the Kurdistan Region."

He went on to add many things will need to be touched on in the next four years including amending the Kurdistan Region presidency law, reform, and establishing an oil revenues account.

"The KDP has agreed with them, but it needs time," he added.

In the previous government, Gorran held the second-most seats in the legislature and secured the post of speaker. However, disagreements with the KDP led to the parliament being largely ineffective.

Critics have faulted the KDP, 11-seats shy of an absolute majority, of being too inflexible in formation talks.

Reporting from Nawzad Mahmod

Comments

Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.

To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.

We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.

Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.

Post a comment

Required
Required