KDP, Sunni leaders agree to ‘study’ government formation efforts
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani and Iraqi parliamentary speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi on Monday agreed to “study” subjects relating to the formation of Iraq’s next government and the country’s presidency.
Barzani received a delegation of the Running the State Coalition in Erbil, consisting of Halbousi, head of the Sovereignty Alliance Khamis al-Khanjar, head of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Falih al-Fayyadh, and the Coordination Framework’s candidate for the Iraqi premiership Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani.
The meeting comes as news has circulated in recent days saying the Coordination Framework have suggested to their allies in the Running the State Coalition to hold a parliamentary meeting on Wednesday to elect Iraq’s president, who will in turn task the country’s next prime minister, in an effort to bring an end to the political stalemate that has plagued the country for over a year.
A statement from Barzani’s office said that the attendees of the meeting agreed to study the subjects and reach a solution before the parliamentary session which is set to elect the president.
The KDP and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) have been at loggerheads over who should become the next president of Iraq, with the KDP fielding its own candidate, Reber Ahmed, to challenge PUK’s incumbent and sole candidate Barham Salih for the post.
Monday marks one full year following the early parliamentary elections in Iraq, which came as a result of nationwide anti-corruption protests. The elected legislature has failed in forming Iraq’s next cabinet during that one-year period, due to continued disagreements between the political blocs over the mechanism of its formation.
Barzani received a delegation of the Running the State Coalition in Erbil, consisting of Halbousi, head of the Sovereignty Alliance Khamis al-Khanjar, head of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Falih al-Fayyadh, and the Coordination Framework’s candidate for the Iraqi premiership Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani.
The meeting comes as news has circulated in recent days saying the Coordination Framework have suggested to their allies in the Running the State Coalition to hold a parliamentary meeting on Wednesday to elect Iraq’s president, who will in turn task the country’s next prime minister, in an effort to bring an end to the political stalemate that has plagued the country for over a year.
A statement from Barzani’s office said that the attendees of the meeting agreed to study the subjects and reach a solution before the parliamentary session which is set to elect the president.
The KDP and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) have been at loggerheads over who should become the next president of Iraq, with the KDP fielding its own candidate, Reber Ahmed, to challenge PUK’s incumbent and sole candidate Barham Salih for the post.
Monday marks one full year following the early parliamentary elections in Iraq, which came as a result of nationwide anti-corruption protests. The elected legislature has failed in forming Iraq’s next cabinet during that one-year period, due to continued disagreements between the political blocs over the mechanism of its formation.