Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani on Monday called on the rival Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), led by Bafel Talabani, to enter talks aimed at resolving their differences and ending the political crisis in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region.
His appeal came five days after the regional parliament convened for its first session in nearly two years, which the PUK boycotted, deepening longstanding divisions between the two parties that dominate Kurdish politics.
“Amid the current political developments and circumstances, all parties must bear in mind that the interests of the people of Kurdistan are greater than, and take precedence over, any other interest or objective,” Barzani declared.
“Based on this principle, I invite our brothers in the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan to sit down at the negotiating table with the Kurdistan Democratic Party to resolve the problems and put an end to the political crisis in the Kurdistan Region.”
He also expressed a “sincere desire” for other political parties to participate in the political process and work together to form a broad-based national government that meets the demands and aspirations of the Kurdish people.
Delicate balance of power
The Kurdistan Region’s parliament reconvened last Wednesday after nearly two years of paralysis caused by disputes between the KDP and PUK.
Lawmakers elected a speaker, deputy speaker and parliamentary secretary, all three aligned with the KDP, prompting strong objections from the PUK.
Although the KDP holds 39 of the legislature’s 100 seats, compared with the PUK’s 23, power-sharing arrangements in the region have traditionally reflected the parties’ territorial influence rather than parliamentary representation alone.
The KDP dominates the Erbil and Duhok provinces, while the PUK exercises extensive influence over Sulaymaniyah, Halabja and other parts of the region.
PUK political bureau member Yousif Goran said the region’s political system could not be governed by parliamentary numbers alone.
“The Kurdistan Region is not merely a handful of parliamentary seats that can be added up mathematically. It is a political experiment founded on balance and a complex partnership,” he explained.
“Any attempt to run its institutions without an understanding between the two main forces opens the door to a deep crisis,” he warned.
‘Coup’
Despite holding several senior positions in Iraq’s federal government, particularly the presidency, as well as ministerial and other high-ranking posts in the Kurdistan Region, the PUK viewed the KDP’s decision to convene parliament as a breach of previous agreements.
A senior PUK official maintained that the two parties had agreed to settle all outstanding disputes over the distribution of positions before holding the parliamentary session.
In response, the PUK announced a series of retaliatory measures, refusing to recognize the session’s legitimacy and denouncing it as “a coup against legitimacy” and a unilateral move.
The party threatened to withdraw from the Kurdistan Regional Government, recall its representatives from the regional presidency and pull out of other joint institutions.
It also raised the possibility of dividing the region by establishing a separate administration in areas under its influence, particularly the Sulaymaniyah province and its surroundings.
The PUK further decided to challenge the parliamentary session before Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court in Baghdad, contesting its legality and legitimacy.
Despite Masoud Barzani’s latest invitation, observers remain skeptical that the two parties can reach a mutually acceptable agreement in the near term, citing their long history of rivalry and conflict.
