Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) continue to run the Kurdistan Region even in the absence of an active parliament and a fully formed government, Kurdistan Socialist Democratic Party (KSDP) leader Mohammed Haji Mahmoud said on Thursday.

In media remarks, Haji Mahmoud pointed to the “dominance” of the two parties over security institutions, saying, “Is there a single security member in areas controlled by the PUK or the KDP who belongs to another party?” 

Earlier, former Peshmerga Ministry Secretary-General Jabar Yawar said despite years of US-backed restructuring efforts, the Peshmerga remain divided between forces loyal to the KDP and the PUK, with genuine unification still unrealized. 

Read more: Peshmerga unified “only in form,” former Kurdish military official warns

Haji Mahmoud also asked “why exhaust people with elections?” since Parliament has been suspended for four years, and the current cabinet is only a caretaker government, adding that any agreement between the KDP and the PUK effectively settles all issues “100%” because “administration, the economy, relations, and the military file are all in the hands of the two parties.” 

Tensions between the KDP and PUK have effectively stalled the Kurdistan Region’s parliament since the October 2024 elections. The KDP secured 39 of the 100 seats, while the PUK won 23.  

Read more: Opinion: KDP, PUK, and the fracturing of Kurdish political partnership in Iraq