KDP, PUK vow to restart parliament in September

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) on Thursday vowed to restart the parliament in September, nearly a year after the election, and push ahead with cabinet formation after talks in Erbil.

The two main parties said in a joint statement that they “agreed on the necessity of intensive and serious efforts to ensure that next September, the sixth term of Kurdistan Parliament begins its normal and legal work and activities, and the other steps for forming the new cabinet continue.”

Although parliamentary elections were held in October, negotiations between the KDP and PUK on forming a power-sharing government have dragged on. The parliament has convened only once, in December when members were sworn in.

According to its own regulations, parliamentary sessions should be scheduled for Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but no meetings have been held in the past eight months.

The KDP and PUK have also yet to agree on the make-up of the new government cabinet. In their joint statement, they said “significant progress has been observed,” and they discussed practical ways to “implement their program.”

In the elections, no single party won a majority, meaning a governing coalition will have to be formed, as has historically been the case. The KDP won 39 spots in the 100-seat legislature, followed by the PUK with 23.

The KDP and PUK, while rivals, have shared power in government since the establishment of the Kurdistan Region in the nineties. For the past several governments, the KDP has held the posts of prime minister and president.

Iraq’s parliamentary elections are scheduled for November 11.