Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah
The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the New Generation Movement (Al-Jeel Al-Jadeed) signed an agreement in Al-Sulaymaniyah on Thursday to coordinate their political positions in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq's parliament, outlining a series of joint priorities.
During the signing ceremony, PUK President Bafel Jalal Talabani said the agreement addresses "highly important" issues affecting people's daily lives, adding that both parties will work together to provide better services across the Kurdistan Region.
New Generation leader Shaswar Abdulwahid noted that the agreement "is not directed against any party" and extends a hand of cooperation to all political forces.
Under the agreement, the two sides pledged to coordinate their positions in the Kurdistan Parliament and the Iraqi Council of Representatives to support political and institutional reforms. They also agreed to jointly draft and support legislation aimed at improving living standards, particularly in the health, education, public services, taxation, and fee sectors.
The agreement commits both parties to pursuing a range of measures in the next Kurdistan Regional Government, including providing marriage loans for young people, reducing electricity prices and other service costs, lowering taxes and fees on business owners, creating job opportunities for university and institute graduates, establishing a dedicated employment agency, and resolving the cases of teachers, temporary employees, and contract workers.
At the federal level, both groups agreed to align their positions in the Iraqi parliament on issues concerning the Kurdistan Region, including the federal budget, the Region's financial entitlements, disputed territories, the Peshmerga forces, and safeguarding the Kurdistan Region's constitutional rights within Iraq's federal system.
Meanwhile, Kurdish political parties continue talks over the formation of a new Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) cabinet, which is still stalled due to disagreements since the 2024 parliamentary elections. According to the official results, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) won 39 seats, while the PUK came second with 23 seats and the New Generation Movement secured 15 seats.
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