Leader Barzani, former PM al-Abadi weigh power balance ahead of elections

Shafaq News – Erbil

Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani discussed Iraq’s shifting political landscape and preparations for the parliamentary elections set for November with former Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in Erbil on Monday.

According to a statement from Barzani’s media office, the talks focused on coordination among political blocs and easing tensions between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

Both leaders emphasized practical solutions to long-standing disputes between the federal and regional governments and called for steady leadership to safeguard Iraq’s stability and unity in the months ahead.

Barzani, who leads the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP)—Iraq’s largest Kurdish faction—secured 31 seats in the 2021 elections and is expected to play a central role in post-election alliances.

Al-Abadi, head of the Victory (Al-Nasr) Alliance, whose bloc won four seats in the last vote, has withdrawn from running in the upcoming elections. Instead, he has pledged support for allied reformist and independent candidates.

Read more: Elections on schedule, legitimacy in doubt: Iraq heads toward November vote