SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region – A meeting to discuss government formation between the two biggest parties in the Kurdistan Region ended without an agreement and no plans to meet again. Delegations from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) met on Wednesday in Sulaimani to hash out sharing power in the new government. Control over the security portfolios was a major issue going into the meeting and it was not resolved nearly half a year after the election. Before the meeting the PUK was insisting it have the Ministry of the Interior. “In an attempt to have real partnership, we don’t want the security sector to be controlled by the KDP alone,” PUK leadership member Farid Asasar told Rudaw ahead of the Wednesday meeting. Neither side has issued an official statement after their meeting. A source close to the meeting told Rudaw that PUK said if it backed off its demand for top posts like interior, natural resources, or foreign relations, then it would want six ministries – namely Peshmerga, higher education, planning, agriculture, education, and health. The KDP, however, has said the PUK should choose five, not six ministries, the source added. The position of parliament speaker is the PUK’s share. The party has also asked for two deputies to the president of the Kurdistan Region. The KDP won the most seats in the election, but not an outright majority so it needs a coalition in order to govern. It has struck a deal with Gorran, which came third in the election, but cooperation with the PUK is crucial as the Kurdistan Region is politically divided between the KDP and PUK, including control over the security forces. The KDP and PUK signed a four-year political agreement in early March, but it lacked specifics on power-sharing. Kamal Kirkuki, a senior KDP member and one of the party's negotiating team, said after the meeting on Wednesday they "will stay in touch" with the PUK, but it is unlikely they will get together again soon.
