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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is keeping a close watch on developments following the return of the Kurdistan Region's parliament, his deputy spokesperson told Rudaw on Tuesday, as political divisions between the region's two main parties deepen over the legislature's resumption.
“The Secretary-General is closely following developments relating to the convening of parliament of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq,” Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN chief, told Rudaw's Namo Abdulla in an email.
The Kurdistan Region has yet to form a new cabinet more than two years after parliamentary elections, with disagreements between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) continuing to stall government formation.
Haq recalled that following the October 2024 parliamentary elections, Guterres urged Kurdish political leaders and societal groups to maintain a peaceful environment, resolve disputes through legal channels and complete the post-election process by forming an inclusive government “as soon as possible.”
The dispute escalated last week after the parliament resumed proceedings without the PUK's participation, ending nearly two years of legislative paralysis.
The move prompted the PUK to announce its withdrawal from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) cabinet and reject the legitimacy of the newly convened legislature.
President Masoud Barzani on Monday called on the PUK to return to dialogue with the KDP, stressing that “the interest of the people of Kurdistan is greater than any other interest or objective.”
“Resolve the issues, and put an end to the political crisis in the Kurdistan Region,” Barzani said in a statement, addressing the PUK.
The parliament reconvened last Wednesday through a KDP-led initiative backed by minority representatives and lawmakers from smaller political groups, as well as three PUK members.
A total of 52 lawmakers attended the session, exceeding the 51-member quorum required in the 100-seat legislature.
Lawmakers elected KDP politician Vala Farid as speaker, Rami Noori as deputy speaker and Muna Qahwachi as parliament secretary.
PUK leader Bafel Talabani described the move as “illegal” and withdrew his party from the KRG cabinet on Thursday.
Disagreements over the distribution of senior government positions, including the premiership and influential cabinet portfolios, have prevented the two parties from reaching an agreement on the region's next administration.
The prolonged political deadlock has left the Kurdistan Region without its tenth cabinet, raising questions about the future of power-sharing between the two parties and the region's ability to move forward with its post-election political process.
