ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The mechanism for ending the Kurdistan Region's prolonged political deadlock remains the main sticking point between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), a senior official from the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) said on Wednesday, despite both sides agreeing on the need to reactivate parliament and form a new government.
Mohammed Hawdiani, a member of the KIU political bureau, told Rudaw on Wednesday that the two ruling parties share the same objectives but differ on how to move forward.
“The problem lies in the mechanism and the way to move the situation forward. The two sides have different visions,” Hawdiani said.
According to Hawdiani, one side favors reactivating parliament first and then beginning negotiations on forming the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) tenth cabinet. The other side insists that parliament's reopening and government formation should be discussed as a single package, with an agreement on the distribution of positions reached before lawmakers reconvene. He did not specify which party supports either approach.
The remarks come amid ongoing efforts by the KIU to mediate between the KDP and PUK and break an 18-month political impasse that has delayed the formation of a new government.
Hawdiani warned that continued political paralysis could have serious consequences for the Kurdistan Region.
“Without doubt, there is an existential threat facing the Kurdistan Region. The changes taking place in the region will affect our future, so this internal deadlock must be broken,” he said.
The KIU initiative was proposed by the party’s Secretary-General Salahaddin Bahaaddin. Both parties officially welcomed the initiative.
According to Hawdiani, the proposal centers on three main points: ending hostile media campaigns between political parties, reactivating the Kurdistan parliament, and launching serious dialogue with Baghdad to resolve outstanding disputes between Erbil and the federal government.
“Some political rivals are trying to undermine the KIU initiative, but our project has reopened the door to dialogue,” Hawdiani said, expressing optimism that KDP-PUK meetings would begin soon and produce a solution.
The Kurdistan Region has remained without a new government since the October 2024 parliamentary elections. The KDP won 39 seats, while the PUK secured 23. Months of negotiations between the two parties have failed to produce an agreement on forming the next cabinet.
