Kurdistan
President Masoud Barzani (right) receives Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) leader Salahaddin Bahaaddin in Erbil on May 24, 2026. Photo: Barzani Headquarters
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - President Masoud Barzani on Sunday received Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) leader Salahaddin Bahaaddin, who has recently launched an initiative to reactivate the Kurdistan parliament, which could pave the way for the formation of the new cabinet of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
According to a statement from Barzani’s office, the meeting focused on exchanging views on "the political situation of the Region and Iraq" and highlighting "internal situation of the Region and the obstacles facing the political process of the Region."
Barzani is the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the former president of the Kurdistan Region.
The meeting comes as the Kurdistan Region continues to face a prolonged political stalemate, with parties still unable to form a new cabinet following the October 2024 parliamentary elections. It is part of a wider initiative led by the KIU aimed at overcoming the political deadlock and reactivating the Kurdistan parliament.
In recent days, Bahaaddin has held separate meetings with Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Bafel Talabani as part of the same initiative.
KIU has said both ruling parties have welcomed the initiative.
The Kurdistan Region has remained without a fully functioning new cabinet since the elections, in which KDP won 39 seats and the PUK secured 23 in the 100-seat parliament. No party achieved a majority, leaving coalition negotiations stalled over disputes on governance structures and key ministerial posts.
Smaller parties, including the KIU, the New Generation Movement (NGM), and the National Stance Movement (Halwest), hold additional seats that have further complicated coalition-building efforts.
Tensions have also increased in recent months over competing alliance strategies, including the PUK’s coordination with the opposition NGM, which has become a point of contention in ongoing negotiations over the formation of the next cabinet.
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