At a Glance

• The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan issued a statement rejecting a parliamentary session rumored for November 4.

• It called on all political forces not to take part.

• The dispute comes amid a long deadlock over the parliament's first sitting.

The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) has declared that a Kurdistan Parliament session planned for Wednesday, November 4, 2026, is illegal and urged all parties and lawmakers to stay away.

Key Statements and Focus Area

• On the Legality of the Session: "We believe this meeting is illegal, far removed from the principles of genuine partnership, and an attempt to impose the single-handed will of one party." — Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).

• On Recognition of Outcomes: "If democratic principles are compromised by influencing parliamentarians' decisions through buying off, threats, and psychological pressure, then within such a paper-thin framework, we will not recognize any parliament or government that results from these types of meetings." — PUK statement.

• Focus Area: The PUK's rejection of the planned session and the wider dispute over completing the Kurdistan Parliament's first sitting.

The PUK said it will not take part and appealed to every loyal individual and national force concerned with the Kurdistan Region's entity to do the same.

The party argued that a parliamentary session carries weight only when backed by national consensus and when all elected parties take part of their own free and democratic will.

This comes after the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) parliamentary bloc, speaking on behalf of itself and the component blocs, criticized the parliament's ongoing inactivity more than two years after the elections and urged all lawmakers to attend Wednesday's session to restore democratic governance.

KDP lawmaker Vala Fareed told a press conference on Tuesday that the parliament has been unable to fulfill its legal duties because the procedures of the first session, held on December 2, 2024, were never carried out in accordance with the applicable laws.

She said the legislative body remaining deactivated is contrary to the principles of democracy and the supreme interests of the Kurdistan Region, and that citizens' voices only hold meaning through an active parliament.

The Presidency of the Parliament's Diwan has officially scheduled Wednesday to resume and complete the first session of the sixth legislative term. However, Channel8 has learned that the document was issued by the Deputy President of the Diwan without the President's approval and lacks both an official stamp and a signature.

The Stance Movement (Halwest) also announced it will not take part in the session to elect the parliament's presidency.

It said that, having chosen to be in the opposition from the start, it is not the opposition's duty to elect a leadership body for one or two ruling powers who will then appoint the Kurdistan Region President and prime minister. The movement said it has not joined any bloc and will remain a "truthful and serious opposition force."

FYI

The Kurdistan Region parliamentary elections were held on October 20, 2024, with the KDP winning a plurality of 39 seats and the PUK 23. Newly elected lawmakers were sworn in at the inaugural session on December 2 of that year, but deep political rifts prevented parliament from electing a speaker or a formal president.

The two main ruling parties have been unable to agree on a power-sharing deal over senior government posts and sovereign ministries, and later attempts to convene the legislature have failed to reach the required legal quorum. As a result, the parliament has been inactive for over two years while the existing government continues to operate in a caretaker capacity.

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