In a statement posted by the PUK’s co-chair Bafel Talabani on Facebook following an hours long meeting of the party's leadership council, the party announced its complete endorsement for the current Iraqi president to run a second term.
The statement added that the council believed that “the KDP has taken steps independently and made agreements with some political parties without any regards to the will of Kurdish parties and Kurdish unity.”
According to a long-standing customary agreement, the three main leadership positions in the Iraqi government are divided among Kurds, Shiites, and Sunnis. Whereas Kurds get the presidency, Shiites get the premiership, and Sunnis get the parliamentary speaker. Among Kurds, the PUK has held on to the presidency position since 2005.
This year, the KDP has put forth a candidate, Hoshyar Zebari, to run for the Iraqi Presidency and challenge PUK’s Barham Salih for the position.
The KDP and PUK for years abided by an agreement, more commonly identified as the strategic agreement, where the PUK would get the Iraqi president of their choice, and the KDP in return would get the Presidency of the Kurdistan Region. Neither side contested the candidates of each other for years, until 2018, where the KDP and for the first time, put forth Fuad Hussein against Salih for the position.
According to the statement, Talabani during the meeting has said “since other parties nominate their own candidates away from the principles of cooperation, then the PUK has the right to consider the presidency a Kurdish and a PUK share,” adding that they will defend the right and will not compromise.
The PUK’s decision comes as both parties have held several meetings, the latest of which was between party leaders Talabani and Masoud Barzani on Saturday. Both sides have previously preached for Kurdish unity. However during the first parliamentary session earlier this month, the PUK did not attend the session to vote for KDP’s candidate for the parliamentary deputy speaker.
