Kurdish party pushes government talks with Shiite bloc over Sunnis

Shafaq News – Erbil

The Kurdistan Democratic Socialist Party (KSDP) on Saturday urged Kurdish parties to focus on negotiating with Shiite political forces, rather than Sunni groups, as Iraq moves toward forming its next government.

Speaking to reporters, Party Leader Mohammed Al-Hajj Mahmoud, known as “Kaka Hama,” described talks with Shiites as more practical, citing ongoing territorial disputes with Sunni counterparts.

“Political parties in Baghdad, whether Shiite or Sunni, maintain the same stance toward the Kurds. There is no distinction between them,” he observed, while sharply criticizing former Parliament Speaker Mohammed Al-Halbousi for what he described as a hostile approach to Kurdish interests.

“We have disputes with the Sunnis, who claim Kurdish areas such as Kirkuk, Aqra, and Khanaqin,” he added.

On November 11, Iraq concluded its sixth parliamentary election since 2003, with nationwide turnout surpassing 56%. Final results confirmed by Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) showed Shiite parties securing 187 seats, Sunnis winning 77, and Kurds obtaining 56. The KSDP did not secure any seats.

Under Iraq’s power-sharing system, the premiership is assigned to a Shia figure, the speakership to a Sunni, and the presidency to a Kurd. With all forces capturing a significant number of seats, selecting the three positions has evolved into a process shaped by cross-component bargaining and continuous recalculation.

Read more: Iraq's new parliament: No bloc can impose, none can be ignored