Shafaq News/ The dialogues between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) continue through a joint committee from both sides, aimed at establishing clear foundations for future cooperation.
The spokesperson for the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Saadi Pira, stated that both the PUK and the KDP are working on preparing a joint plan that takes into account the political and economic challenges facing the region.
Pira explained in a press briefing that meetings between the PUK and the KDP are ongoing, where unresolved issues are being discussed, as well as determining responsibilities and defining mechanisms for joint work.
“Both parties hope to finalize the preparation of those responsibilities soon, so that they can take concrete steps towards achieving their common goals in governing the Kurdistan Region,” he said.
Regarding the formation of the new government, Pira believed that it is too early to talk about setting timelines for government formation at the moment, noting that any hasty step could be a "mistake" and lead to undesirable results.
The spokesperson said, "We should not rush into making unstudied decisions; we need to solve the fundamental issues first. If we do not solve these issues now, we might return to square one in the future."
The PUK official also denied that the discussions between the two sides had focused on government positions, stressing that the main focus right now is solely on the government program.
Notably, the delay in forming the Kurdish cabinet is primarily due to political disagreements between the KDP and PUK. Key issues include the distribution of leadership positions, as well as the need for a unified approach to address economic and political challenges.
Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) President Bafel Talabani have engaged in multiple meetings to discuss the formation of the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) next cabinet. Their most recent meeting occurred on January 16, marking their first direct discussion since the parliamentary elections.
Since the elections, in which the KDP and PUK retained the largest number of seats, the two parties have met five times to address the issue. In their first meeting, they decided to form a group to follow up on the situation; however, no significant agreement has been reached since then.
This joint group, includes key representatives such as Pshtiwan Sadiq, Dilshad Shahab, and Omed Sabah from the KDP, as well as Rewas Fayaq, Shalaw Kosrat Rasul, and Amanj Rahim from the PUK.
They have held five meetings so far and drafted a joint government program while focusing on political and economic challenges facing the region. Efforts are concentrated on defining responsibilities as well as establishing mechanisms for cooperation between the two parties. While progress has been made on the framework for the new cabinet, no significant agreement has been reached regarding the distribution of leadership positions. The focus remains on resolving key issues before finalizing the cabinet formation.