Talks Begin on Forming Next Kurdistan Government

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region  - Nechirvan Barzani, deputy leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), arrived in Sulaimani Monday to kick off the first round of talks with the opposition and allies on forming the next Kurdish government.

“Nechirvan Barzani will hold talks with all political parties, including the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the Change Movement (Gorran),” said Abdulwahab Ali, a leading KDP official.

Barzani’s arrival in Sulaimani follows the September 21 elections for the Kurdish legislature, which overturned the Kurdistan Region’s traditional political landscape. While the KDP held its dominance by winning 38 of the 111 seats in parliament, its ruling partner the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan received only 18 seats, losing its place as the second-largest party to the opposition Change Movement (Gorran), which won 24 places.

Ali said the KDP delegation will hold talks with all parties regardless of whether they have won any seats in the recent elections.  “The KDP has no red line with anyone and talks with all the parties, whether they have won seats or not. We want to form a strong, broad-based government,” he said.

Ali stressed that the KDP does not have any pre-conditions, but also will not accept pre-conditions from any other party for talks on forming the next government.

Jutyar Adil, a professor of political science at Salahaddin University, believes that a majority government is presently the best solution for Kurdistan.

“What we need in Kurdistan is a proactive government that is stable and able to develop Kurdistan politically and economically with a comprehensive strategic program,” he stressed. He also predicted that all parties would be included in the next government, making it broad-based.

The Kurdistan legislative assembly has 111 seats, including a quota of 11 for minorities. Sixty-two seats are needed to form the government, but no single party received the majority of the votes.

Earlier this month, Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani tasked Nechirvan Barzani – who is also the prime minister -- to form the next government.

The leader of the Kurdistan Islamic League, Ali Bapir, told Rudaw that his party is not ready to enter the next government unilaterally. “We won't take part unilaterally and no one should be marginalized.” he said. “We have a general condition, which is that the 8th cabinet should focus on uprooting official corruption, said Bapir. 

Bapir’s faction, Gorran and the Kurdistan Islamic Union remained in the opposition in the outgoing parliament. According to reports, the trio is committed to remaining unified, whether in government or in the opposition.

Barzani will hold talks with PUK leader Barham Salih, Gorran leader Nawshirwan Mustafa and Mawlood Bawa Murad of the Islamic Union in Sulaimani on Monday. He is scheduled to meet with Islamic League leader Bapir in Erbil on Tuesday.