Barzani urges PUK to engage in dialogue

On Monday, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) President Masoud Barzani called on the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) to sit down at the negotiating table with the KDP to resolve disputes, end the political crisis in South Kurdistan, and prioritize the interests of the people of the Kurdistan Region over the political interests and objectives of the parties.

In a statement published on Monday, Barzani said, “The interests of the people of Kurdistan are greater than and take precedence over any other interest or objective.”

Barzani renewed his call for the PUK to engage in dialogue, saying, “I call on our brothers in the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan to sit down at the negotiating table with the Kurdistan Democratic Party to resolve problems and put an end to the political crisis in the Kurdistan Region.”

He also expressed his desire for all other political parties in the Kurdistan Region to participate in the political process and work together to form a broad-based, national government that meets the demands and aspirations of the people of Kurdistan.

The Kurdistan Region Parliament resumed its work on November 4, after nearly two years of inactivity, following the failure of political forces to reach an agreement on forming a new government and distributing positions and powers. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) did not participate in the parliamentary session.

The following day, November 5, Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) President Bafel Talabani announced that his party was withdrawing from the Kurdistan Regional Government in protest against holding the session without the PUK’s participation. He described the government as “failed” and declared that the party did not recognize the parliament in its current form.

This escalation comes amid ongoing disagreements between the two parties over the formation of the 10th cabinet, following the Kurdistan Region parliamentary elections held on October 20, 2024. The KDP won 39 seats, while the PUK secured 23.

The dispute centers on the mechanisms for forming the new government and distributing government and administrative positions, amid differences over power-sharing arrangements and how to resume the work of parliamentary institutions.