Shafaq News – Erbil

On Thursday, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) accused the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) of blocking an agreement to form the new Kurdistan Regional Government until after Iraq’s November 11 parliamentary elections.

The KDP and PUK are the two main political parties in the Kurdistan Region. Their dispute has left the Kurdish parliament inactive since the October 2024 elections, when the KDP won 39 of 100 seats and the PUK 23. The legislature convened briefly on December 3 but failed to elect a speaker or form a cabinet, resulting in an indefinite suspension.

Read more: Six months of stalemate: Kurdistan’s government formation crisis deepens

In a statement, the KDP confirmed that both sides had reached understandings on political, economic, and security issues, charging that the PUK refused to move forward despite what it described as a fair proposal granting it senior posts, including the speakership of parliament and several key ministries.

“It has become evident that the PUK will not move forward until after Iraq’s parliamentary elections,” it added, warning that postponing the agreement undermines public confidence and weakens institutions.

The PUK has not yet commented on the KDP’s statement.

Iraq is scheduled to hold parliamentary elections with more than 21.4 million eligible voters, including over 3 million in the Kurdistan Region, to elect 329 lawmakers. The Region’s 46 seats—12 reserved for women—will shape Kurdish representation in Baghdad and the balance of power in the next federal legislature.

Read more: The Kurdish spine of Iraq’s elections: Unity tested by division

In the upcoming vote, both the KDP and PUK are fielding 30 candidates in Erbil. In Duhok, the KDP leads with 22 candidates against the PUK’s five, while in al-Sulaymaniyah, both parties are competing head-to-head with 36 candidates each.