KDP–PUK talks on Iraq presidential deadlock conclude without breakthrough

Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

The meeting between Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) President Bafel Talabani ended without a final agreement, a PUK spokesperson said on Saturday.

In a press conference, Karwan Gaznay noted that the meeting, which addressed key political developments in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, was “important at this stage,” adding that the PUK would continue efforts to bridge differences with the KDP. “Talks between the two sides will continue to reach joint understandings that serve political stability in the Region.”

On internal party affairs, Gaznay said the PUK is undergoing a phase of institutional renewal, including changes aimed at empowering young professionals and university graduates, alongside honoring the families of those killed in past conflicts. He stressed that the changes would be implemented transparently and without bias in selecting cadres.

Previous attempts to elect a president failed due to disputes between the KDP and the PUK, the two main Kurdish parties, which have not agreed on a joint nominee, repeatedly preventing the quorum required for a vote. A source in the KDP said on Wednesday that a decision on the presidential nominee had been postponed until Sunday.

Under Iraq’s post-2003 power-sharing system, the presidency is allocated to a Kurd, the premiership to a Shiite Arab, and the speakership to a Sunni Arab. The constitution requires parliament to elect a president within one month of its first session, a deadline that passed on January 28, though disagreement persists over whether official holidays pause the timeframe, a question referred to the Supreme Judicial Council.

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