KDP, Sadrists, Sunni Taqadum meet in Najaf to resolve political tensions in Iraq

Dilan Sirwan

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Vice-President Nechirvan Barzani met with Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and parliamentary speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi in Najaf on Monday, following an initiative from KDP leader Masoud Barzani to resolve political tensions in Iraq’s ongoing government formation process.

The meeting at Sadr’s house came following a statement from Masoud Barzani on Monday where he suggested that Nechirvan Barzani and Halbousi visit Sadr in order to discuss the political process in Iraq, and to eliminate the obstacles and issues.

The Sadrist bloc has already formed an alliance with the KDP and Halbousi’s Sunni party, Taqadum. Their initial act of alliance was during the first parliamentary session earlier this month where all three parties voted for each other’s candidates for the parliamentary speaker position and his deputies.

The sudden meeting between the three leaders comes after Iran’s Quds Force commander Ismael Qaani accompanied by Iran’s top official in Iraq, Hassan Danaeifar, met with Masoud Barzani in Erbil on Sunday, as confirmed to Rudaw by the KDP’s spokesperson. 

"Qaani has visited Erbil and visited President [Masoud] Barzani and their request has always been for President  [Masoud] Barzani to play a role in resolving internal issues between Shiites as he is respected throughout Iraq," KDP spokesperson Mahmood Mohammed told Rudaw on Monday.

Iranian interference seems not to be shaking the alliance between the three parties.

“The time of foreign interference in the formation of Iraqi governments is over,” Halbousi said in a tweet on Monday, adding that both parties are in Najaf to discuss a “purely national Iraqi government, neither eastern nor western.”

Halbousi’s tweet reiterates Sadr’s claim, who has on several occasions preached for a national Iraqi government without foreign influence.

Sadr in a tweet reiterated his promise of forming a national, majority government following the meeting adding that he “welcomes dialogue with the national opposition,” referring to the Coordination Framework.

Masoud Barzani also took to Twitter shortly after Halbousi, saying that he hoped that the meeting, which concluded at midday on Monday, would produce positive results.

The meeting between the party leaders comes exactly a week from the parliamentary session where the country’s new president is meant to be elected.

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.

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 for the first time put forth Fuad Hussein against Salih for the position. However, Hussein, who is now Iraqi foreign minister, did not make the cut and Salih was chosen as the country’s president.

This year, the KDP has put forth another candidate, Hoshyar Zebari, to run for the Iraqi presidency and challenge PUK’s Barham Salih as he tries to secure a second term. The KDP’s alliance with the Sadrists and Taqadum has put the party in a stronger position.