KRG deputy PM: International partners losing hope over cabinet deadlock
Shafaq News- Raparin
A senior official from an unnamed “friendly” country asked why the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) had yet to form a new government, Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani said on Thursday, warning that international partners were beginning to lose hope of a breakthrough.
Speaking to reporters during a visit to the Raparin Independent Administration, Talabani, also a member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Political Bureau, said the prolonged delay is damaging the KRI’s reputation and becoming a “black mark” on its democratic record, urging political parties to overcome their differences and accelerate government formation to meet citizens’ expectations and address current challenges.
Read more: Kurdistan marks two years without a new government
On October 21, Talabani met US chargé d’affaires Steve Fagin, with US Consul General Gwendolyn Green also attending. Both sides called for faster progress toward forming the new cabinet. A day earlier, Talabani and Stephan Wendt, head of the EU Liaison Office, said a strong, unified government was vital to security and stability in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.
Read more: Qubad Talabani expects new Kurdistan government this autumn
The deadlock dates to the October 20, 2024 parliamentary election, when the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) won 39 seats and the PUK secured 23 in the 100-seat legislature, leaving neither with a majority. Power-sharing disagreements have prevented the formation of the new cabinet, while Prime Minister Masrour Barzani’s government remains in office. Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court is due on October 26 to consider two legal challenges concerning the current Kurdistan Parliament and regional government.
