At a Glance

• The KDP expressed full readiness to launch immediate talks with the PUK and other political factions.

• Spokesperson Mahmoud Mohammed welcomed President Masoud Barzani’s new initiative to end the governing crisis.

• The party reiterated its preparedness for bilateral meetings to definitively settle all lingering issues.

The Kurdistan Democratic Party declared its readiness to launch immediate talks with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and other political factions following an initiative by the party’s president, Masoud Barzani.

Key Statements and Focus Area

• Mahmoud Mohammed, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Democratic Party, said in a statement on Monday that, “With reference to the initiative launched today by President Masoud Barzani regarding the political situation and aimed at overcoming the political deadlock, we warmly welcome his Excellency's important initiative.”

• “Together, we can respond to the will and aspirations of our citizens and navigate this phase to the benefit of our people and homeland,” Mohammed stressed.

Following KDP President’s appeal to resolve outstanding disputes and call for immediate political cooperation to bring an end to the Kurdistan Region's ongoing governing crisis, spokesperson Mahmoud Mohammed emphasized that, in light of this fresh initiative, the Kurdistan Democratic Party is fully prepared to launch direct dialogues.

The spokesperson reiterated that the party is prepared to hold bilateral meetings with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan to definitively settle all lingering issues.

“Concurrently, we are prepared to initiate discussions and meetings with all other political parties in the Kurdistan Region,” Mahmoud added.

Barzani underlined today that “everyone must take into account that the interest of the people of the Kurdistan Region is greater than any other interest or goal.”

He expressed a strong desire for all other regional political factions to actively participate in the unfolding political process.

By working together, he said that these parties can successfully "form a broad-based, national government" capable of directly addressing the urgent demands and aspirations of the Kurdish people.

FYI

The political landscape of the Kurdistan Region has been paralyzed by a prolonged legislative deadlock stemming from the October 20, 2024, parliamentary elections. 

Although the KDP secured a 39-seat and the PUK secured 23 seats, newly elected lawmakers were left without a functioning assembly after being sworn in on December 2, 2024. 

Deep strategic disagreements over a comprehensive power-sharing deal effectively kept the Parliament completely inactive for nearly two years while the current government operated under a temporary caretaker status. 

The legislative paralysis shifted last Wednesday when the Parliament reconvened for a highly volatile session to elect its new leadership board. 

Backed by a KDP-led initiative alongside minority quota representatives and critical independent defectors, the assembly managed to draw 52 of its 100 total lawmakers, narrowly exceeding the 51-member legal threshold required for a quorum. 

The session elected KDP politician Vala Fareed as Speaker, Christian representative Rami Nouri as Deputy Speaker, and Turkmen representative Muna Qahwachi as Parliament Secretary, achieving a unanimous 52-vote sweep.

The parliamentary session triggered an immediate and severe political backlash from rival factions. 

Labeling the uncoordinated session an "illegal attempt to bypass national consensus," the PUK officially boycotted the assembly alongside the New Generation Movement.

Following the vote, PUK President Bafel Jalal Talabani issued a video message explicitly refusing to recognize any authority or legislative output emerging from the session. 

Reacting to the crisis, Talabani announced the immediate withdrawal of the PUK ministerial team from the KRG cabinet.

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