KDP claims main opposition ready to join next Kurdistan cabinet

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The main opposition, New Generation Movement (NGM), has expressed its readiness to join the next Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), a senior member of the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) claimed on Sunday. This comes amid the NGM’s failure to maintain its seats in the federal legislature.

Aras Hasso Mirkhan told Rudaw that the NGM is prepared to participate in the upcoming KRG cabinet and that the KDP can form the government “with other parties” and without its rival and traditional partner, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).

Rudaw English reached out to the NGM but did not immediately receive a response.

The Sulaimani-based NGM has opposed the idea of joining any coalition with Kurdistan Region’s ruling parties or the Region’s cabinets unless offered top positions.

The KDP, the strongest party in the Region, “has discussed giving us ministries along with deputy ministers, director generals, and those positions. They've said whatever item we want can be put on the government's agenda, but truthfully, we - with all due respect - don't trust these things,” party leader Shaswar Abdulwahid, who has been jailed since August, said in a press conference in January.

The NGM obtained nine seats in the 2021 federal parliament, but only three in the latest elections. The NGM has repeatedly alleged that the imprisonment of its leader was plotted by the Region's ruling parties to weaken their standing.

“If we don't have power, authority, sovereign positions so that we can fulfill our promises to people, we won't participate in any way and will remain in opposition,” he added.

The Kurdistan Region held its long-overdue parliamentary elections in October 2024. The ruling KDP won 39 seats, followed by the PUK with 23 seats. The NGM took third place with 15 seats.

Following the elections, all opposition parties said they were not interested in joining government formation negotiations. Discussions have largely been between the KDP and PUK, with both sides trading blame over the prolonged delay in forming a cabinet.

Mirkhan on Sunday confirmed that the KDP has held talks with other parties and that they are willing to move forward. The KDP in early November accused the PUK of withholding the formation of the cabinet until after the federal elections.

“We believe that if we can have a unified stance and make an agreement with the PUK, we can be stronger in Baghdad and our requests will be implemented better,” Mirkhan said, expressing hope that they can still form the tenth cabinet with the PUK.

He added that KDP President Masoud Barzani “has made sure that we set party interests aside.”

The KDP and PUK had said in the summer that they were close to reactivating parliament and forming a cabinet, but tensions resurfaced during campaigning for the Iraqi legislative polls last month.

Hoshyar Zebari, a senior KDP official, told Rudaw on Thursday that if the political parties fail to form a new government, “certainly another election might be held.”

Kurdistan Region Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani, who is also a senior PUK member, on Sunday dismissed claims that his party has withdrawn from talks.

“We as the PUK are ready to restart talks to reach a final conclusion to form the tenth cabinet of the Kurdistan Regional Government,” he told reporters.

Following the 2021 federal elections, the KDP and PUK fought over the position of the Iraqi president - which has been traditionally held by a Kurd from the latter. The PUK won the race. This year, a similar scenario is expected to be repeated as officials from both parties have hinted at their parties’ desire to field candidates for the mostly-ceremonial position.

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