President Barzani, Iraq PM-Designate Ali al-Zaidi Hold Talks in Erbil
The meeting is ongoing as of Saturday afternoon and represents a critical stage in Iraq's political transition.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - President Masoud Barzani is currently meeting with Iraq's Prime Minister-designate, Ali Falih al-Zaidi, in Erbil to discuss the formation of the next federal government.
The meeting is ongoing as of Saturday afternoon and represents a critical stage in Iraq's political transition.
According to the statement from the Media Office of the Prime Minister-designate, during the meeting, "the general situation of the country and the progress of discussions to form the new government were presented."
As stated in the announcement, the meeting emphasized the importance of unifying visions and positions and working toward the formation of a strong government capable of confronting challenges and overcoming crises, in order to contribute to strengthening stability and development and fulfilling the aspirations of all segments of the Iraqi people.
Earlier on Saturday morning, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani officially received al-Zaidi at Erbil International Airport.
The Prime Minister-designate arrived in the regional capital leading a senior political delegation to engage in a series of consultations with the Kurdistan Region's top leadership.
Shiite Coordination Framework Delegation
Al-Zaidi is accompanied by a high-ranking delegation from the Coordination Framework, representing major constituents of Iraq's largest parliamentary bloc.
The members of the visiting delegation include:
Mohsen al-Mandalawi - Head of the Coalition of al-Asas.
Abdul-Hussein al-Moussawi - Head of the al-Nahj National Alliance.
Falih al-Fayadh - Chairman of the Popular Mobilization Forces (Hashd al-Shaabi).
Abbas al-Amiri - Secretary of the Shiite Coordination Framework.
The delegation's arrival follows a formal sequence of diplomatic engagements.
Following the conclusion of the ongoing meeting with President Masoud Barzani, al-Zaidi is scheduled to hold separate sessions with Nechirvan Barzani, the President of the Kurdistan Region, and Prime Minister Masrour Barzani.
Government Formation Timeline
The current Erbil consultations are rooted in recent political developments in Baghdad.
On the night of April 27, 2026, leaders of the Shiite Coordination Framework convened at the Government Palace in Baghdad, where they reached a unanimous consensus to nominate Ali Zaidi for the post of Prime Minister of Iraq.
Under the Iraqi Constitution, the Prime Minister-designate is granted a one-month window to select his cabinet members and prepare the government for a parliamentary vote of confidence.
Al-Zaidi currently has 25 days remaining in this constitutional timeline to finalize the formation of the new federal government.
The ongoing discussions in Erbil are expected to focus on securing a broad political agreement between the Coordination Framework and the Kurdistan Region's leadership.
The outcome of these high-level meetings will likely influence the composition of the forthcoming cabinet as the constitutional deadline approaches.
The article was updated on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at 01:52pm. Details of the meeting, as per the Iraqi PM-designate office, were added.