Bafel Talabani, who was serving as PUK co-chair for over a year, changed his Facebook and Twitter bios to “president” of the PUK after tensions with his cousin and fellow co-chair Lahur Talabany. The PUK’s official media outlet also named Bafel Talabani president in an article on Monday.
Last week, rumours spread that Bafel Talabani and his brother Qubad Talabani, current deputy prime minister of the Kurdistan Region, were trying to change the heads of the PUK’s intelligence agency and counter-terrorism units. The rumours were confirmed on Sunday when the brothers officially inaugurated the two new chiefs in Sulaimani.
The former heads were closely affiliated to Lahur Talabany, including his brother Polad who was head of the counter-terror unit. The replacements are believed to be closer to Bafel Talabani.
Lahur Talabany took to social media on Monday, saying the party has survived many hardships in the past, including a “gang up” over the past week, which he claimed Turkey was also involved in. He said the party's followers will not allow it to fail and PUK's enemies should "bury their dreams."
Lahur Talabany and Bafel Talabani were elected as co-chairs of the PUK in February 2020, following years of wrangling within the party over who would succeed the late Jalal Talabani, who died in 2017. The party did not hold a congress to elect a new leader until December 2019, largely because of internal rivalries. At the congress, the party adopted a co-leadership and the cousins were elected to the posts two months later.
The PUK was founded in 1975 after breaking away from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). The two parties fought a long civil war in the 1990s before agreeing to share power in a united administration. They both retain their own Peshmerga units and geographical areas of influence.
