ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) politburo says it is open for alliance talks with everyone, following a meeting on Sunday. The party’s top table also discussed the election results and its long-delayed congress.
The leadership council will meet on Tuesday to discuss the program.
Whatever the leadership council agrees will form the basis for discussions with other Kurdish parties.
At least four Kurdish parties – Komal, the Coalition for Democracy and Justice (CDJ), Gorran, and the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) – are contemplating a complete withdrawal from the Iraqi political process.
They accuse both the KDP and PUK of rigging the election in the Kurdistan Region and the disputed territories, and have called for a complete re-run of the election in these areas.
According to PUK media, the party also discussed the much awaited party congress, postponed multiple times due to internal rivalry between different factions within the leadership.
“Our doors are open for talks with all political parties,” Saadi Pira, the PUK politburo’s spokesperson, told journalists. The party’s aim is to retain the Iraqi presidency, which since 2005 has always been held by a Kurd – specifically by members of the PUK.
For two terms the presidency was held by the late-party founder Jalal Talabani, and once by co-founder Fuad Masum. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) now says it is entitled to the position as it won the most seats in the Iraqi parliament of any Kurdish party.
“It was decided that the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, for the next phase, the phase of discussions for the formation of the federal Iraqi government and for the four upcoming years, a program be prepared,” Pira said.
The leadership council will meet on Tuesday to discuss the program.
Whatever the leadership council agrees will form the basis for discussions with other Kurdish parties.
“The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, right after the elections, said we generally want unity in Baghdad,” Pira added.
At least four Kurdish parties – Komal, the Coalition for Democracy and Justice (CDJ), Gorran, and the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) – are contemplating a complete withdrawal from the Iraqi political process.
They accuse both the KDP and PUK of rigging the election in the Kurdistan Region and the disputed territories, and have called for a complete re-run of the election in these areas.
According to PUK media, the party also discussed the much awaited party congress, postponed multiple times due to internal rivalry between different factions within the leadership.
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