KDP Sends Top Delegation to Baghdad for Government Formation Talks
High-level KDP delegation arrives in Baghdad to negotiate government formation, focusing on the presidency, budget, and election law reforms.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — A top delegation from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) is set to arrive in Baghdad on Monday to initiate formal negotiations regarding the formation of Iraq’s next federal government, marking a significant acceleration in the political process following the country’s recent parliamentary elections.
The visit, confirmed by Kurdistan24 reporter Hoshmand Sadiq, comes as political maneuvering intensifies in the Iraqi capital.
The delegation’s arrival on Monday, signals the beginning of a critical phase in post-election governance, as the country’s leading political forces attempt to coalesce into a functional administration for the sixth term of the Iraqi Parliament.
According to information obtained by Kurdistan24, the primary objective of the KDP delegation is to engage in direct discussions with the winning forces and parties that emerged from the general election held on Nov. 11.
The schedule for the visiting diplomats includes separate, targeted meetings with various Shiite and Sunni political parties, reflecting the complex sectarian and political mosaic that defines the Iraqi legislative landscape.
The delegation is set to begin its official negotiating rounds on Tuesday. These talks are expected to focus on the mechanics of forming the new cabinet, a process that involves establishing the largest parliamentary bloc and the subsequent distribution of sovereign posts within the federal hierarchy.
The composition of the KDP team indicates the high priority the party places on these negotiations.
The delegation includes some of the party’s most senior figures: Fazil Mirani, the Head of the Executive Body of the Political Bureau; Fuad Hussein and Nawzad Hadi, both members of the Political Bureau; Omed Sabah, a member of the KDP Central Committee; and Faris Isa, the Head of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Representation in Baghdad.
The presence of such ranking officials suggests that the KDP is prepared to make binding decisions regarding its participation in the federal government.
The backdrop to these meetings is a period of intensified political activity in Baghdad.
Since the conclusion of the Council of Representatives election in November, the winning political entities have been engaged in preliminary moves to secure alliances.
As the "first winning force of the election at the level of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq," the KDP has positioned itself as a central player in these deliberations.
In its approach to the talks, the KDP has publicly emphasized three core principles: balance, partnership, and consensus.
These pillars are intended to guide the party's interactions with its potential coalition partners.
Observers expect that the discussions led by Mirani and his colleagues will have a significant impact on several key outcomes, most notably the selection of the President of the Republic—a position traditionally held by a Kurd—and the determination of the Kurdistan Region’s specific share and constitutional rights within the future government of Iraq.
The mandate for this mission was solidified late last week.
The delegation’s travel to Baghdad follows an expanded meeting of the KDP’s Central Committee held on Dec. 18, 2025. That gathering, conducted under the supervision of President Masoud Barzani, resulted in a final statement that outlined the party’s strategic priorities for the coming term.
During the Dec. 18 meeting, the Central Committee explicitly determined that a high-level delegation would be dispatched to Baghdad to address and resolve outstanding issues between the Kurdistan Region and the federal government.
The committee’s final statement highlighted several specific grievances and policy goals that are likely to feature prominently in the upcoming talks.
Foremost among these is the KDP’s call for a revision of the Iraqi election law.
The party’s leadership has asserted that the current legal framework for elections contains inherent injustices that must be rectified through serious legislative effort. This demand suggests that electoral reform will be a condition for the KDP’s full cooperation or support in the government formation process.
Additionally, the Central Committee’s statement called for a "permanent and fundamental solution" to the perennial financial disputes between Erbil and Baghdad.
Specifically, the party is seeking a resolution to the issues of the federal budget and the payment of salaries for civil servants in the Kurdistan Region. The KDP has insisted that any solution must be compatible with the federal system, rejecting temporary fixes in favor of a structural agreement that guarantees the region's financial stability.
As negotiations commence on Tuesday, the interactions between the KDP delegation and their counterparts in the Shiite and Sunni blocs will be scrutinized for signs of a breakthrough.
The outcome of these meetings is expected to shape not only the composition of the next cabinet but also the broader trajectory of Erbil-Baghdad relations for the coming legislative term. With the distribution of sovereign posts and the presidency at stake, the KDP’s engagement in Baghdad represents a pivotal moment in the post-2025 political order of Iraq.