KDP, PUK leaders meet to discuss delayed government formation

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The leaders of the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) met in Erbil on Saturday, their second meeting in three months to discuss the delayed formation of the new Kurdistan Region cabinet.

 

"The political situation in Iraq and the region, the political process of the Kurdistan Region, and the formation of the new government of the Region were discussed in the meeting," according to a statement from the office of KDP leader Masoud Barzani.

 

PUK leader Bafel Talabani confirmed their meeting with a similar statement on Facebook.

 

According to PUK-affiliated media, the meeting lasted nearly three hours, and no other officials from either side took part. The two leaders discussed in detail how to remove obstacles in the way of forming the cabinet.

 

The Kurdistan Region held its long-delayed parliamentary election nearly a year ago, in October. The KDP won 39 out of 100 seats, followed by the PUK with 23. As has traditionally been the case, the two parties are seeking to form a power-sharing government.

 

Talabani and Barzani last met in July. That meeting was also attended by Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani and Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, who are both KDP deputy leaders.

 

In June, Prime Minister Barzani said they had reached an agreement on a cabinet agenda and that the door remains open for other parties to join. However, no final deal has been announced and the parliament has only sat once, in December.

 

Saturday's meeting came the same day that Kurdish oil exports resumed after a milestone agreement between Erbil, Baghdad, and international oil companies ended a more than two-and-a-half year stoppage.