The president and delegation of independent MPs "discussed the latest developments in Iraq's political situation, as well as the challenges facing it in an effort to reach an understanding between political parties and break the political deadlock," a statement from his office said.
Iraq held elections in October following demands from nationwide protests. However, eight months after the election, a new government is yet to be formed in the country, as political blocs continue to disagree on its composition.
The MPs detailed the purpose of their visit to the Kurdistan Region and said they came to "hold talks with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and political parties in order to bring the political parties closer together," amid a cross-party intensification of efforts by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) to resolve their differences.
Tensions between the KDP and PUK resurfaced following the Iraqi elections, with the KDP forming a tripartite alliance with the Sadrists and the Sunni Sovereignty Alliance while the PUK allied with the Coordination Framework, a pro-Iran Shiite alliance. Both parties also fielded different presidential candidates.
Barzani expressed support for the independents' efforts to further ease tensions between the KDP and PUK, and expressed hope that their efforts would yield a good outcome for Iraq to escape political turmoil and form a government.
A Coordination Framework MP told Rudaw's Snur Majeed on Wednesday that discussions within the Kurdish political parties are vital for putting an end to Iraq's shattered political scene, adding that efforts taken to achieve an understanding between Kurdish parties would subsequently set the scene for a Shiite agreement as well.
However, Masoud Haider, a senior advisor to KDP President Masoud Barzani, told Rudaw's Bestoon Othman that the party will not renounce its backing for presidential candidate Reber Ahmed, a decision that could prove troublesome as attempts to resolve differences continue.
Iraqis took to the streets in October 2019 in massive protests against corruption and unemployment and called for the provision of basic services, leading to the death of around 600 protestors. The protests resulted in early elections, but the country's political future remains mired by instability with repeated government formation efforts failing.
