The KDP is holding internal meetings to plan its schedule.
“Reaching an agreement on forming the government will be easy if parties can reach a deal on electing a speaker to the parliament,” a PUK MP said.
On December 3, KDP leadership nominated Nechirvan Barzani for the post of president the Kurdistan Region and Kurdistan Region Security Council head Masrour Barzani for prime minister.
A KDP delegation will on Tuesday visit Sulaimani to meet with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the Change Movement (Gorran).
“We will be first trying to elect a speaker to the parliament and reach a deal on who will be deputy prime minster before the end of this year, and will then go into details about forming the cabinet after the New Year holiday season ends,” said a KDP MP in the Kurdistan Region’s parliament.
Some KDP officials do not want Komal in the government. But no final decision has been made on this matter.
“A strong government is possible when its participants are serious partners, not half-opposition. I think the KDP and PUK can form a strong government together,” said a PUK MP.
As for the Change Movement, the KDP wants Gorran to be part of the government. But Gorran wants an answer on whether the Peshmerga will be unified and the financial crisis will be resolved in the new cabinet before deciding on whether to take part in the government.
“The promises which the KDP delegation might be making will be taken to the Assembly meeting which will make a final decision on whether Gorran will take part in the government,” a Gorran official who didn’t want to be named said.
A strong government and a strong Kurdistan was the KDP’s election slogan. But the KDP is certain it cannot have either of these if the party treats the PUK and Gorran on the basis of the number of seats they won in recent elections.
“The KDP will have 9 ministries, PUK 5, Gorran 3, Turkmen and Christian parties will each have one ministry. But it is not yet clear which party gets which ministry to run,” said Hevidar Ahmad, a KDP MP in the Kurdish parliament.
The PUK has rejected the premise that parties will be given government positions on the basis of election merits and number of seats, a PUK leadership member said.
“The size of our zone is 625 kilometers – two provinces. This is the reality of how situations are on the ground. And this territory is bigger than KDP’s zone of sphere. This is the basis on which we look at negotiations on this matter, not the number of our seats,” the PUK official said. “In the war on ISIS, we made more sacrifices than the KDP. We are governing this area. That is why this kind power-sharing is not acceptable to us. But anyway, we are waiting for the KDP’ delegation team.”
A KDP official said if parties can reach a deal on electing a speaker to parliament and a nominee for the post of deputy prime minister, “reaching an agreement on key ministries will not be difficult. The ministries which are sought after are finance, natural resources, interior, and Peshmerga. These ministries will be distributed according to an agreement on who will be speaker of the parliament and deputy prime minister.”
