PM Barzani: Political Disagreements Made the New KRG Cabinet Formation Before Iraqi Elections unsuccessful
PM Masrour Barzani revealed KRG cabinet formation was delayed by disagreements but will proceed based on new circumstances. He said the KDP's condition for joining Baghdad's government is constitutional implementation and that PM al-Sudani promised to send salaries.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region, Masrour Barzani, revealed on Tuesday that efforts to form the tenth KRG cabinet before the Iraqi parliamentary elections were unsuccessful due to a lack of consensus among political parties, who held different views on the matter.
Speaking at a press conference in Duhok, Prime Minister Barzani said, "We were very keen to form the tenth cabinet of the Kurdistan Region before the Iraqi parliamentary elections were held, but unfortunately, the other parties did not agree with us. They had different interpretations of the issue."
He emphasized that new circumstances have now emerged, and "we will deal with the formation of the government according to these new circumstances."
Regarding the Kurdistan Democratic Party's (KDP) conditions for participating in the next Iraqi government, Prime Minister Barzani was clear: "We will participate in the formation of the new federal cabinet on the condition of implementing the constitution."
During the press conference, which took place on the sidelines of the MEPS forum, PM Barzani also discussed his meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani. "In the meeting, we discussed the formation of the new federal cabinet, and we also discussed the issue of the salaries of the Kurdistan Region's employees," he said.
He added that in their meeting, al-Sudani "promised to send the salaries of the Kurdistan Region's employees as soon as possible."
Prime Minister Barzani also praised the annual conference, noting, "Year by year, the MEPS forum is becoming larger and more comprehensive."
The sixth annual Middle East Peace and Security (MEPS) Forum began on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, at the American University of Kurdistan in Duhok and is set to continue for three days.
The forum has gathered a significant number of high-profile political and academic figures. Attendees include President Masoud Barzani, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani, President of the Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council Faiq Zidan, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, and Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, as well as a large number of academics, writers, and researchers from North America, Europe, and the Middle East.
The main objective of this year's MEPS is to discuss the current conflicts and challenges in the Middle East, with the goal of finding long-term solutions and achieving sustainable peace in the region. The discussions are expected to focus on the situation in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq in general, along with a broader view of regional security and stability.
Kurdistan24 Media Foundation is the media sponsor for the event and will be covering the activities of the MEPS 2025 forum throughout its duration.
