KDP AND PUK SIGNAL READINESS TO RESUME GOVERNMENT TALKS AFTER 19 MONTHS OF DEADLOCK

Slemani – Senior figures from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) signalled on Monday that they are prepared to return to the negotiating table over the formation of the next Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) cabinet — the first such public indication of readiness in weeks.

Ari Hersin, head of the KDP’s Fourth Branch, led a delegation to the PUK’s organisational headquarters in Sulaymaniyah to offer congratulations on the party’s 51st founding anniversary, a symbolically charged visit given the near-total breakdown in formal political communication between the two parties in recent months.

“The PUK and KDP are tools for serving the nation and they must fulfill their responsibilities and should not remain divided.”— Ari Hersin, KDP Fourth Branch Head.

Hersin confirmed to reporters that negotiation delegations from both parties are ready to return to discussions on the shape of the next regional cabinet, adding that relations between the parties — despite deep disagreements — remain ‘normal.’ His delegation’s visit was mirrored within the Kurdistan Parliament, where the KDP parliamentary faction paid a parallel visit to the PUK faction to mark the occasion.

KDP lawmaker Rozh Sheikh Salar described the current moment as ‘sensitive for the Kurdistan Region,’ calling on all parties to prioritise unity and the reactivation of the parliament, which has remained frozen alongside the government formation process.

The Kurdistan Region has been without a functioning government and a sitting parliament since elections were held in October 2024 — a period now approaching 19 months. The KDP secured 39 of the parliament’s 100 seats in those elections, while the PUK won 23. No party achieved a majority, and negotiations between the dominant parties have stalled repeatedly over disagreements about power sharing, portfolio distribution, and the structure of the incoming government.

PUK spokesperson Karwan Gaznayi separately told reporters that the two parties share ‘substantial common ground,’ and that the PUK and NGM would formalise their joint negotiating position — entering any talks with the KDP as a unified ‘one package’ alliance — in the near future.

Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, in a press conference on June 4, underscored the urgency, stating that parties must place public interest above narrow partisan considerations and that parliament ‘belongs to the voters, not to any single party.’