Kurdistan
PUK leader Bafel Talabani (left) appeared in a video message on Thursday, as Shaswar Abdulwahid (right) held a press conference the same day, January 15, 2026.
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Bafel Talabani, president of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), has accepted a proposal by Shaswar Abdulwahid, leader of the opposition New Generation Movement (NGM), to form an alliance aimed at establishing the Kurdistan Region’s tenth cabinet without the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).
The proposal was made during a press conference in Sulaimani on Thursday, held a day after Abdulwahid was released on bail. At the event, he addressed several political issues, including the prolonged deadlock in forming the new Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), more than 15 months after parliamentary elections were held.
“We have a project to present to all parties, except the KDP. If they want genuine change in the Kurdistan Region - activating parliament, passing a budget law, returning domestic and border revenues to the budget law, and ensuring transparency in funds from Baghdad - we are here with our 15 seats,” Abdulwahid said. “Any party willing can move forward to form a front and alliance to elect a prime minister.”
He said the initiative aims to “adjust the balance of power in Kurdistan.”
While the press conference was underway, Talabani posted a video message responding to the challenge and expressing his willingness to engage.
“Mr. Shaswar, I listened to your press conference. You presented a challenge - about adjusting the balance of power, restoring parliament, returning the budget to parliamentary oversight, and ensuring transparency. The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan wants this,” Talabani said.
He added that meaningful discussions should take place in person rather than through the media.
“This cannot be done through television press conferences. Therefore, I propose that a PUK delegation, including myself, will visit you on Saturday. If you are serious, we are also serious. If you are ready, we are ready,” Talabani said.
Abdulwahid welcomed the response during the same press conference.
“If you are serious, come - you are welcome,” he said.
The Kurdistan Region held long-delayed parliamentary elections in October 2024, in which the KDP won 39 of the 100 seats, while the PUK secured 23. No party achieved an outright majority, and negotiations to form a government have stalled for months amid disputes over governance mechanisms and key cabinet positions.
At the center of the impasse is the Interior Ministry, a post traditionally held by the KDP, which the party has insisted on retaining.
The KDP has not yet officially commented on the latest developments.
Abdulwahid was detained by Sulaimani security forces in mid-August and later sentenced to five months in prison on charges related to making serious threats against individuals, their property, or their reputations. The NGM has described the trial as politically motivated.
The New Generation Movement, the largest opposition party in the Kurdistan Region, performed poorly in Iraq’s parliamentary elections in November. Abdulwahid’s absence during the campaign was widely believed to have contributed to the party’s significant loss of votes.
The KRG has also auctioned several of Abdulwahid’s properties over his failure to repay government loans. According to Rudaw, Abdulwahid faces additional charges.
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