Kurdistan
Hoshyar Siwaily, head of KDP’s foreign relations office, speaks to Rudaw in an interview on April 19, 2026. Photo: Screengrab/Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A senior member of the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) said on Sunday that the party is considering dissolving parliament and holding snap elections to break the deadlock over forming the Kurdistan Region’s government, nearly 18 months after the parliamentary vote.
“Our last option might be holding early elections,” Hoshyar Siwaily, head of KDP’s foreign relations office, told Rudaw's Sangar Abdulrahman. He added that past negotiations with the other ruling Kurdish party, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), have “further complicated” the government formation process.
The Kurdistan Region held elections for its 105-member legislature in October 2024. The KDP secured 39 seats, while the PUK won 23. With neither side achieving an absolute majority and disagreements persisting over key posts and governance mechanisms, parliament has yet to be activated and government formation remains in limbo. The two parties have held a series of talks to form the next cabinet - most recently in February - but have yet to reach a concrete agreement.
Both ruling parties blame each other for the political stalemate.
“Whether I say it or not, it is as they say a conspicuous secret that the government formation as well as the political process in the Kurdistan Region are in deadlock,” said Siwaily.
While describing snap elections as the only viable way to overcome the impasse, the KDP senior member also cautioned that such a move is unlikely to significantly alter the balance of power between the KDP and PUK.
Although both ruling parties share power within the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), the KDP maintains de facto rule over Erbil and Duhok provinces, and the PUK has parallel power over Sulaimani and Halabja provinces.
In addition to disputes over the distribution of key posts and agreement on a governance structure, another sticking point is the PUK’s alliance with the New Generation Movement, an opposition group holding 15 parliamentary seats. PUK leader Bafel Talabani is seeking to negotiate with the KDP as part of a larger bloc of 39 seats, incorporating those of the New Generation Movement as well as an additional seat from the minority quota.
“The alliance between the PUK and New Generation Movement has added more complexity to the issue,” said Siwaily, adding that the KDP will not engage with the alliance and will only negotiate directly with the PUK, noting that it has already approached opposition parties to form a government, but they declined.
Another thorny issue has been the nomination of Iraq’s president. Last week, the Iraqi legislature voted for PUK’s nominee, Nizar Amedi, to assume the presidency. In response, the KDP bloc said Saturday that it would boycott the Iraqi parliament indefinitely, citing “clear violations of the constitution and laws.”
The head of the KDP’s foreign relations told Rudaw that “what happened in Baghdad to select the president of Iraq was not helpful for facilitating reconciliation between the KDP and PUK.” He added that there must be a “feasible mechanism” for selecting the president that reflects “popular accord” and rules out the “imposition of will” by any single political party.
Under Iraq’s informal power-sharing system, the presidency is allocated to the Kurds, the parliamentary speakership to Sunni Arabs, and the premiership to Shiite parties.
It has been a week since the president was elected. Within 15 days of being sworn in, the president is required to task the prime minister nominee from the largest parliamentary bloc with forming a government.
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