KDP, PUK share ‘positive understanding’ on many issues

Sunday’s meeting is the second of its kind between the two parties in less than a week, following months of tensions.

Kurdistan 24 2023/05/21 18:15

Senior PUK delegation (right) during their meeting with KDP top delegation in Pirmam, Erbil province, May 21, 2023. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/ Nawras Abdullah)

Kurdistan KDP PUK President Masoud Barzani Kurdistan Region parliamentary election

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Region’s two ruling parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) shared a “positive understanding” on numerous outstanding issues, a joint statement revealed on Sunday.

A senior PUK delegation visited their KDP counterparts in Pirmam, Erbil province, to discuss numerous issues, including the upcoming Kurdistan Region parliamentary election set for November 18, 2023.

The party leaders discussed holding the regional elections “on time,” according to the statement, adding other topics require further discussions in upcoming meetings.

Sunday’s meeting is the second of its kind between the two parties in less than a week, following months of tensions.

The parties restarted talks following a recent initiative by KDP President Masoud Barzani, calling for a national dialogue among all the parties in the region, particularly the KDP and PUK, the main components of the current Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) ninth cabinet.

The parties are still discussing the reactivation of the electoral high commission and amendments to the elections law.

In a press conference on Sunday, the KDP parliamentary bloc in the Kurdistan Region said they agreed to all the “conditions” presented by other parties for the sake of holding the elections on time.