“There is a strong possibility for the PUK and the KDP to reach an agreement,” Karwan Yarwais told Rudaw's Snur Majeed on Saturday, adding that reaching an agreement to field one candidate is in the interest of Kurds.
The Kurdish political giants, who govern the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), have had disagreements over a variety of issues in recent months, and their race over Iraq’s presidential position further escalated the tensions.
Both Kurdish political parties fielded separate candidates for the same ceremonial position in 2018, and the PUK’s Barham Salih won the race. His party wants him to stay in the position.
Yarwais claimed that the KDP does not want to enter a parliamentary vote over the position as the recent withdrawal of its strong ally, Sadrist Movement, from the legislature has made PUK’s allies stronger.
The Iraqi presidential position has been held by the PUK since 2005 as per an agreement with the KDP.
Iraq held snap parliamentary elections in October. The KDP was in a tripartite alliance in the Iraqi parliament with the Sunni Sovereignty Alliance and the Sadrist Movement, which together sought to form a national majority government. The alliance came to an end when the Sadrists resigned from the legislature earlier this month.
The PUK MP stated that even if the Kurds were to reach an agreement, the government formation remains forestalled until the Shiites agree on a PM candidate.
He added that former premiers Nouri al-Maliki and Haider al-Abadi were among the names suggested as the Coordination Framework’s candidate for the position, but he believed it would be best to avoid those two names and nominate a candidate that would not further “upset” leader of the Sadirst Movement Muqtada al-Sadr, and risk the possibility of mass demonstrations.
Iraq continues to be shrouded in political instability with the country yet to form its next government a staggering eight months following the elections.
The pro-Iran Coordination Framework was the Sadrist Movement’s most formidable opponent before the withdrawal of the latter, opposing Sadr’s attempts at forming a national majority government and insisting on forming a government based on political consensus.
