Peregraf
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) President Bafel Talabani announced on Wednesday that his party supports accelerating the formation of a new Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) cabinet before Iraq’s parliamentary elections, scheduled for November 11.
Talabani made the statement during a meeting in Erbil with French Foreign Minister Jean-Nöel Barrot, where the two discussed regional developments and the political impasse in the Kurdistan Region.
“We will never forget our friends who stand by us and will not leave us,” Talabani said, reaffirming the importance of international support amid ongoing political challenges.
According to a statement from Talabani’s office, both sides emphasized the urgency of forming “a strong and service-oriented government” before the Iraqi elections. The move, they said, would bolster Kurdish unity and provide a stronger voice in Baghdad to defend Kurdish rights and address the public’s needs.
The meeting also covered the situation in Syria and West Kurdistan (Rojava), where both parties underscored the need to protect the rights of all communities, especially the Kurds, within the framework of a reformed Syrian state.
“Kurdish unity and support for their rights is the guarantee of maintaining peace and stability in the region,” the statement said, urging peaceful dialogue as the primary path to resolving disputes.
The push for government formation comes amid continued negotiations between the PUK and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), aimed at resolving a political deadlock that has persisted since the Kurdistan Parliament convened its first session on December 2. Despite multiple rounds of talks, a new cabinet has yet to be formed.
In the most recent regional elections, the KDP emerged as the largest party with 39 seats, followed by the PUK with 23. Minority and smaller party representatives hold the remaining 38 seats in the 100-seat parliament. With 51 seats required for a majority, coalition-building remains essential.
While the KDP maintains political dominance in Erbil and Duhok, the PUK holds strong influence in Sulaymaniyah and Halabja. Cooperation between the two has historically been key to preserving political stability in the Kurdistan Region.
The outcome of the ongoing negotiations will be critical in shaping the next government and the broader political future of the region.