PUK’s Political Bureau decides to strip the co-chairman of power
Shafaq News/ The Political Bureau of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) decided on Saturday to strip Lahore Sheikh Jangi, of power.
A PUK official document said all members of the PUK Political Bureau ratified the decision that co-chairman Lahore Sheikh Genki would hand over all his powers to co-chairman Bafel Talabani.
Earlier this week, Jangi, confirmed in a meeting with the families of the martyrs that he is ready - for the sake of the Patriotic Union - to leave work and move away if he makes sure that he is the cause of the problems, adding that he will deliver a detailed speech Tonight to announce his position.
He added with watery eyes, "I'm sorry... I did not imagine that my cousin would pull a poisoned dagger on me," referring to the joint president, Bafel Talabani.
Bafel Talabani and his cousin Lahore Sheikh Jangi Talabani, the PUK’S co-chairmen threatened each other of military confrontation.
Both put on a heightened military state of alert to impose the will on the other side.
The dispute has been irritating after Bafel Talabani decided to appoint a person of his side as the head of the Zanyari security apparatus to lead the fight against terrorism.
The apparatus is considered the most powerful Kurdish intelligence and security service. It was led by Lahore Sheikh Jangi Talabani.
In February 2020, Bafel Talabani and Lahore Sheikh Jangi Talabani were elected as co-chairs of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, the first step of its kind for Kurdish parties.
It was agreed that the son of the Founder, Bafel, would conduct politics, while Sheikh Jangi would take responsibility for security files.
But it appears that Bafel's latest move will assert control over the security institutions within the PUK's sphere of influence.
During Jalal Talabani’s illness, Lahore Sheikh Jangi gradually took defacto steps to control social and youth fronts in addition to security institutions in the Party, until Bafel was unable to remove him, and eventually agreed with him to share the leadership.
However, Bafel Talabani’s move, supported by veteran leaders in the Party, pulled the rug out from Sheikh Jangi and stripped the power over the institutions that had been under his control for years.
These fast-moving developments prompted the Iraqi President Barham Salih, who is a PUK leader, as well as American and Iranian parties to intervene, trying to contain any armed clash between cousins.
