KDP, PUK to Hold New Talks This Week on Kurdistan Government Formation

SLEMANI — The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) have held recent meetings away from the media and are expected to continue talks this week, KDP Political Bureau member Ali Hussein said on Sunday.

Speaking at a press conference marking the anniversary of the KDP’s founding, Hussein said the political situation in the Kurdistan Region remains sensitive and requires responsibility from all political parties, particularly the KDP and PUK.

“This is a sensitive phase and the responsibility rests on everyone’s shoulders, especially the KDP and the PUK,” Hussein said, noting that meetings between the two parties had continued in recent weeks.

He said further talks would take place in the coming days and expressed optimism that the meetings would contribute positively to resolving outstanding political issues.

Hussein stressed that not every meeting between the two parties needs to be publicized or attended by the media.

He also said the KDP and PUK are moving toward steps aimed at reactivating the Kurdistan Parliament and forming the region’s new cabinet.

Regarding the possibility of cooperation with the New Generation Movement, Hussein said the party had approached the KDP through an intermediary in September last year with a proposal to form a government without the PUK.

“We rejected that request,” he said.

Hussein also emphasized that the KDP does not view the PUK solely in terms of its 23 seats in the Kurdistan Parliament, but rather as a political partner.

“We do not deal with the PUK simply as a party holding 23 seats; rather, we treat them as a partner, and we will continue to treat them as a partner in the future,” he said.

The Kurdistan Region has remained without a new cabinet despite parliamentary elections held nearly two years ago. Political parties have yet to reach a final agreement on the formation of the new government, with differences between the KDP and PUK remaining a key obstacle.

The latest talks could signal renewed efforts by the two largest Kurdish parties to break the political deadlock and pave the way for the reactivation of Parliament and formation of the new cabinet.