Shafaq News – Erbil

Iraq’s main Kurdish parties are set to resume negotiations next week on forming the Kurdistan Region’s government and agreeing on a candidate for the Iraqi presidency.

Former Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) lawmaker Bashar Al-Kiki told Shafaq News on Wednesday that the KDP and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the Region’s two largest parties, will work to settle on a nominee “capable of managing responsibilities in the coming period.”

The KDP aims to expand the role of Iraq’s president beyond its “largely ceremonial” function, Al-Kiki added, arguing that the office should be empowered to identify constitutional violations and address issues affecting citizens across the country.

He said that choosing a presidential nominee is not confined to any single party.

According to official election results, the KDP secured 26 parliamentary seats, dominating Duhok and Erbil and making gains in some disputed areas, while the PUK won 15 seats holding its ground in Al-Sulaymaniyah.

Under the post-2003 power-sharing arrangement, Iraq’s presidency has traditionally been allocated to the Kurds, typically to a figure from the PUK.

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