Kurdistan Parliament Set for October Reactivation, Source Says

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) have agreed to reactivate the Kurdistan Parliament in October, with preparations underway for the legislature to elect its leadership and begin the process leading to the formation of a new Kurdistan Regional Government, a source told Kurdistan24.

Under the reported agreement, the parliament speaker position will go to the PUK and the presidency of parliament will be elected during the first session.

The development follows months of negotiations between the Region's main political parties over reactivating the legislature and forming the KRG's Tenth Cabinet. Recent discussions between the KDP and PUK had intensified around both issues.

On the administrative side, parliament says it can move quickly once political parties formally give the go-ahead.

"If the political parties reach an agreement and ask us to proceed, we are ready to complete all procedures necessary to reactivate parliament in less than 24 hours," Saman Ahmed Bakr, Director of Media at the Kurdistan Parliament, told Kurdistan24.

Bakr said three ballot boxes would be prepared for the opening session: one each for the election of parliament speaker, deputy speaker and secretary.

After voting concludes, two young members of parliament will count the ballots before the new parliamentary presidency is formally determined.

The legislature's return would then open the next institutional steps.

According to Bakr, the process for electing the President of the Kurdistan Region will follow, with the presidency requiring parliament's confidence within the prescribed period. The prime minister and members of the new cabinet would subsequently seek parliamentary confidence.

Permanent parliamentary committees are also expected to be established within 30 days of the legislature's reactivation, allowing the sixth term to begin its regular legislative work.

The parliament was elected on Oct. 20, 2024, in voting administered by Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission. Turnout was approximately 72 percent.

The final seat distribution left no party with a majority in the 100-seat chamber. The KDP emerged as the largest bloc with 39 seats, followed by the PUK with 23 and the New Generation Movement with 15. The Kurdistan Islamic Union won seven seats, the National Stance Movement four, the Kurdistan Justice Group three and the People's Front two. Gorran and the Kurdistan Region Alliance secured one seat each, while five seats were allocated to component representatives.

The election outcome made negotiations between political forces necessary for the activation of institutions and formation of the next cabinet.

If the reported October agreement proceeds as planned, the first parliamentary session will move the political process from negotiations between parties into the legislature itself, beginning with the election of its leadership before attention turns to the Region's presidency and the new government.