Kurdistan's KDP, PUK sign final deal on government formation, end gridlock

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Region’s top parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), on Sunday inked a final deal on the government formation to end gridlock on ministerial posts.

In the presence of many senior party members from both sides, the agreement was signed in Sulaimani by the deputy leader of the KDP, Nechirvan Barzani, and the acting Secretary-General of the PUK, Kosrat Rasul.

The two leaders praised the people of Kurdistan for their patience and expressed their hope that the new Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) cabinet will bring more economic prosperity and positive development to the autonomous Kurdish region.

The agreement came hours after meetings between a KDP delegation with members of the Gorran movement and the PUK.

The designation of posts in the new KRG cabinet was one of the main reasons the government formation had been delayed despite the aforementioned parties having signed prior deals.

The KDP previously signed separate agreements with the PUK and Gorran that were described as final deals. However, disagreements grew after the PUK demanded additional posts in the cabinet, a move which also strained relations with Gorran.

The Kurdistan Region held its parliamentary election on Sept. 30, with the KDP securing 45 seats in the 111-seat legislature. The PUK and Gorran came in second and third place with 21 and 12 seats respectively.

The KDP has already nominated Masrour Barzani, the current Chancellor of the Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC), as their candidate for prime minister who will form the new regional government’s cabinet. Nechirvan Barzani, the current prime minister, has also been nominated as the KDP’s candidate for the newly-reinstated post of President of the Kurdistan Region.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany