‘Talks for forming new Iraqi cabinet starts on Tuesday’: KDP Politburo

“Three Sunni blocs will visit Erbil on Tuesday and separately meet with President Masoud Barzani.”

Dler S. Mohammed 2021/12/07 12:21

KDP Politburo spokesperson Mahmud Mohammed talking to the press, in Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Dec. 6, 2021. (Photo: Kurdistan 24)

Iraq Iraqi 2021 elections Formation of the new Iraqi cabinet 2022 KDP

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Politburo spokesperson Mahmud Mohammed told a press conference on Monday that the talks for forming the Iraqi new cabinet will begin on Tuesday.

“Three different delegations from the Sunni political blocs will visit the Kurdistan Region on Tuesday to hold talks over the formation of the new Iraqi cabinet,” Mohammed said. “The three delegations will separately meet with the President of the KDP Masoud Barzani.”

“Our priorities in negotiations are applying all the articles of the Iraqi constitution and solving the outstanding problems between Erbil and Baghdad,” he added.

Mohammed reiterated that no decision has been made over who will get the Iraqi presidency.

“This position is for Kurds, and the Kurds will have discussions amongst themselves about it,” he said.

Mohammed also said that the KDP has evidence to show that the two seats it recently lost in the Iraqi parliament were due to manipulation and interference in the final election results, particularly in Nineveh province where there was “a big plot committed against the KDP.”

“All the ballots in Nineveh were manually counted five times, and every time they matched the electronic results,” he said.

Mohammed emphasized that the KDP will follow up with the complaints it has submitted regarding these election results.

According to the preliminary results released by Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), the KDP won 33 seats, the most votes for any political party not in a coalition.

However last week (Nov. 30), the IHEC announced the final results. According to these final results, the KDP won 31 seats, with the two it previously held going to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).

The PUK had appealed the initial results and, under the final results announced last Tuesday, that party now holds 19 seats instead of its initial 17.

Mohammed also stated that the KDP supports Kurdish unity in negotiations over forming the next Iraqi government in Baghdad.

In mid-November, President Masoud Barzani received Bafel Talabani, the co-chair of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). During that meeting, Talabani and Barzani both emphasized the need to coordinate Kurdish efforts to address the pressing issues the region faces and to serve the people of Kurdistan.