Kurdistan Government talks: progress made, hurdles remain

Kurdistan Government talks: progress made, hurdles remain
2025-02-04T14:10:44+00:00

Shafaq News/ The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) convened their final negotiating session, on Tuesday, at Saad Abdullah Hall in Erbil.

This session marked the fifth and final round of talks between the two parties since late November, concluding a series of intense negotiations on forming the next Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

In a joint statement, the technical committees from both sides acknowledged that while differences persist, significant progress has been achieved. “The points of agreement between the two sides far outweigh the issues that remain unresolved,” said Rêwaz Faiq, a member of the PUK’s negotiating committee, adding that While there are differences in perspectives and the mechanisms, "we seek to implement for managing the process, we remain hopeful that the higher negotiations committee will be able to reach a consensus on the matters that could not be resolved today.”

The KDP’s negotiating team includes Pishtiwan Sadiq, Dilshad Shahab, and Umed Sabah, while the PUK is represented by Rewaz Faiq, Shalawla Sheikh Salah, and Amanj Raheem.

Both sides have reached a preliminary agreement on most issues, and the outcomes of these discussions will now be referred to the higher negotiation committee for a final decision. The talks also focused on strengthening cooperation, drafting a joint work program, and determining cabinet positions to ensure effective governance that aligns with the region’s needs.

Notably, in the most recent parliamentary elections, the KDP emerged as the largest party, securing 39 out of 100 seats with 809,197 votes, followed by the PUK with 23 seats and 408,141 votes. Other political parties also gained representation, making coalition-building essential for forming the next government.

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