ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The political disagreements between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) hinder the process of reforming the Peshmerga forces, the Dutch consul general in Erbil told Rudaw on Thursday, adding that he ‘sincerely’ believes the two ruling parties have the willingness to unify the forces. The KDP and the PUK, have for decades disagreed over a variety of issues, sometimes leading to major unrests in the Region. Disputes in Erbil and Baghdad have escalated in recent years over official positions, budgeting, and income. “It is definitely more difficult because the political tensions are there,” Jaco Beerends, Netherlands’ consul general in the Kurdistan Region, told Rudaw’s Hawraz Golpy about the Peshmerga reformation process, adding “now there is a pause in the system.” Beerends stated that he believes the KDP and the PUK understand that the reforms are a necessity and are willing to work towards that end. “Both parties will see that in the end this is in their interest.” Although the Peshmerga forces are under the authority of the Peshmerga ministry, the force’s two largest units are divided among the KDP and the PUK. Unit 70 forces are affiliated with the PUK and Unit 80 forces are controlled by the KDP making up the majority of the Peshmerga forces, numbering over 100,000 troops. Dutch forces have been providing training for Kurdish Peshmerga and Iraqi soldiers as a member of the Global Coalition that was formed in September 2014 after Islamic State (ISIS) militants took control of large swathes of northern Iraq and Syria.
