Politics

PUK presses for more Kurdistan government posts as talks with KDP continue

The leading parties in the autonomous Kurdistan Region on Wednesday held another round of talks about the formation of the new Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) cabinet, namely the share of governmental posts.

Sangar Ali 2019/03/27 17:43

kurdistan Kurdistan KDP Government Iraq PUK

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The leading parties in the autonomous Kurdistan Region on Wednesday held another round of talks about the formation of the new Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) cabinet, namely the share of governmental posts.

A delegation from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) met with one from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) in Sulaimani.

The meeting was meant to discuss the PUK’s allocation of posts and convince the party to join the new KRG government.

In late September, the Kurdistan Region held its parliamentary election as parties competed for representation in the 111-seat parliament. The KDP won the election, securing 45 seats, followed by the PUK with 21 seats, and Gorran with 12.

The KDP has already nominated Masrour Barzani, the current Chancellor of the Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC), as the prime minister to form the new KRG cabinet.

On Feb.18, the leading party inked a 24-point agreement with Gorran and followed it up with an 18-point deal with the PUK on March 4, securing a cooperation agreement with both parties for the next four years.

“The delegates met to ask the PUK to agree on and accept the posts the KDP had previously assigned for them, but the PUK disagreed,” a source who attended the meeting told Kurdistan 24 on condition of anonymity.

Among the key posts which the KDP has already allocated to the PUK are the parliamentary speaker, deputy prime minister, minister of Peshmerga, as well as other deputy minister posts and heads of committees.

“The additional posts that the PUK has asked for in the new government are the ministers of interior, health, planning, and the head of the investment board,” the source added.

“They have also requested the creation of a new deputy for the president of the Kurdistan Region for Peshmerga affairs—to be given to the PUK.”

According to the source, the KDP delegates refused the additional aforementioned posts, stating that other parties also had their shares in the government.

Over the past few months, senior KDP leaders, including its President Masoud Barzani, have repeatedly said government posts would be given to parties based on their entitlements from the election results.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany