The KDP's final meeting on Tuesday in Baghdad was with Hadi al-Amiri, who led the Fatih (Conquest) Coalition.
Rudaw's Sanger Abdulrahman asked Amiri about the possibility of a second term for fellow Shiite Haider al-Abadi as prime minister.
"It's too early to talk about this," said Amiri.
The Shiite politician, who heads the Badr Organization, added that all the parties need more time to work out coalition-building.
"Today, we have to agree on the government's programs," said Amiri.
Fatih list leader Hadi al-Amiri speaks to reporters in Baghdad on May 22, 2018.
He is open to partnerships with any of Iraq's components.
"We are not against a deal with anyone — Shiite, Sunnis, or Kurds," added Amiri.
Many of Amiri's candidates were leaders of Iran-backed elements of the Hashd al-Shaabi. They "on paper" resigned from their positions in the paramilitias.
Sadr's Sayirun alliance with Iraq's communist party won 54 seats. Fatih was second with 47 seats. Abadi's Nasr (Victory) list followed with 42, Maliki's State of Law Coalition had 26, and the KDP 25.
The second-largest Kurdish party, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, won 18 seats and will send a delegation to Baghdad led by its politburo head Mala Bakhtiar on Wednesday.
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9:32 p.m.
Ammar al-Hakim hosts KDP delegation in Baghdad
The KDP delegation is meeting with Hikma (Wisdom) Ammar list head Ammar al-Hakim in Baghdad.
Hakim told Rudaw it will not enter any government coalition if the KDP is not included.
Ministerial posts are not at the forefront of discussions, but Abdulrahman reported the KDP delegation as saying they “have achieved a lot” during their meetings with Iraqi parties on Tuesday.
A PUK delegation is also expected to visit Baghdad on Wednesday.
Hikma picked up 19 seats, KDP 25 in Iraq's parliamentary election.
The KDP delegation is set to meet with also Hadi al-Amiri and Ayad Allawi.
Amiri headed the Fatih or Conquest list, winning the second-most seats. Allawi's Wataniya list was sixth with 22 seats, just behind the KDP's 25.
Former Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki speaks to reporters in Baghdad on May 22, 2018. Photo: Rudaw TV
Maliki: Positive atmosphere in talks with KDP
7:15 p.m.
Both the KDP delegation in Baghdad and former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki agreed on Tuesday that there were common points in their talks.
"The positive atmosphere that surrounded the dialogue, following the completion of talks with other political partners in the political process by the good delegation, will be followed by a meeting to establish the main points in mutual understandings,” Nouri al-Maliki told journalists.
The Dawa Party leader said that they have joint visions and ideas. He also revealed that they are seeking an alliance, an alliance between the different components, and an alliance that doesn’t have a veto over anyone.
"We don't accept the logic of vetoes. We accept the policy of methods and programs and the commitments that give us good governance, a good government and a supportive parliament. We don't have vetoes from anyone, and we don't accept anyone’s veto on us,” Maliki contended.
The leader of the KDP delegation explained they hope to participate in an inclusive government.
"We have aims; we aren't after posts. In the selection process of the prime minister, we are looking for a ministerial program that compensates the Iraqi people, from Kurdistan to Basra, for what it missed in previous governments,” Fazil Mirani, the secretary general of the KDP, told journalists following the meeting.
Maliki was responsible for cutting the budget share of the KRG in 2014.
"Our meeting with dear brother Nouri al-Maliki was a good and positive meeting. We reached many common [points] to curb out the negatives in the previous governments in Iraq and solidify the positives,” said Mirani, noting that the past wasn't entirely negative.
The KDP wants to look forward.
"The new scene in Iraq requires combining efforts and uniting the mutual visions. There are communalities between multiple components of the political process of Iraq,” affirmed Mirani.
The KDP won 25 seats, one less than Maliki's State of Law Coalition, which finished fourth.
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5:25 p.m.
Sadr: Next government will move to resolve 'all outstanding issues' in Iraq
Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, the head of the winning Sayirun faction in Iraq’s elections, met at his office with a KDP delegation, stressing the resolution of issues with the Kurdish people in the meeting.
“Based on the belief that Iraq is a which tent everyone can get shade, and keenness for the emergence a paternal government that takes care of everyone, his Eminence welcomed in his residential place in Baghdad Mr. Fadhil Mirani, the secretary general of the Kurdistan Democratic Party,” read a statement form Sadr’s office.
Fadhil Miran was accompanied by the head of KDP’s election office Khasro Goran, Bangin Rekani, Shuwan Mohammed Taha and Omid Sabah.
“He emphasized the government moving towards resolving all the outstanding issues with the Kurdish brothers in the upcoming stage and working paternally with all the components of the Iraq people,” Sadr stated.
The KDP delegation congratulated Sadr for winning the most votes and obtaining 54 seats in Iraq’s parliamentary election on May 12.
Sadr has met with Abadi, Hakim, Allawi, and other important actors in the Iraq’s increasingly Shiite-dominated political scene.
KDP went to Baghdad alone in the hopes of holding talks with the winning parties, saying they did so because Kurdish parties didn’t heed the call for forming a unified bloc for negotiations.
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12:15 p.m.
KDP goes it alone with delegation visit to Baghdad
None of the Kurdish parties were ready to form a joint delegation to visit Baghdad, said a high profile KDP leader, so the KDP decided to go alone.
Fazil Mirani, head of the KDP politburo, will head a party delegation visiting Baghdad on Tuesday.
His party had called on all the parties in the Kurdistan Region to form a united front and go to Baghdad as one, but the call was not answered, he said.
It is “damaging” to all sides for Kurds not to be united before entering talks with Baghdad, Mirani told Rudaw.
The Kurdish nation “will no longer accept fragmentation” among the Kurdish parties, he said, but added that it is “never too late” for them to pull together.
Mirani explained their intention in Baghdad is to meet with all the lists that won at the polls in Iraq’s recent parliamentary election. Their first meeting will be with Muqtada al-Sadr, followed by Haider al-Abadi, Nouri al-Maliki, and Ayad Allawi.
“We are going to meet with the winners, all of them, without exception,” he said, adding they do not reject any party in Baghdad and will also meet with those who have not won.
The KDP does not have a plan to endorse a certain party or list to form the government, but want to find out what agreements have been made among the Iraqi parties. Then the KDP will throw its support behind “the party implementing Kurdish demands. And to that end, we are for a mechanism,” Mirani explained, noting that KDP support will be crucial to the formation of the next Iraqi government.
“Kurds have a major position in Iraq. It does not matter how much votes they have gained,” he said.
“We are a partner in Iraq and reject the system of political divide,” Mirani added, stressing that Kurds will not accept any definition in Iraq other than “partner.”
“The principles of balance and partnership, consensus, Article 140 are the key things to us – these are the goals.”
The KDP secured 25 seats in the Iraqi parliament, the most out of the Kurdish parties and fifth across the country.
Mirani said his party wants to see the post of president of Iraq given to the Kurds, as has been the case since 2003.
“The post of the Iraqi president has to be given to Kurds. True, it is more of a protocol position, but the post is the symbol of Iraq and it’s good for a Kurd to have it. The prime minster position will not be given to Kurds. And the position of the speaker of the parliament is weak if there is not a huge parliamentary bloc behind it,” he reasoned.
Though there are allegations of widespread electoral fraud and acknowledging that the KDP itself was “not satisfied with the election” and the performance of the election commission, Mirani said it is not a good idea to delay forming the next government.
He floated the idea of creating a Union Council in Baghdad that would serve as a decision-making body – something he argued is in line with the constitution.
Brett McGurk, the US special presidential envoy, is in Sulaimani on Tuesday in a bid to convince Kurdish opposition parties not to boycott the political process in Iraq.
He met with Barham Sarlih, the leader of the CDJ.
The parties have asked for a complete re-do of elections in the Kurdistan Region and disputed territories.
