The leader of the Takadum Movement, Mohammed al-Halbousi, visited separately with the leaders of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah, four months after his removal from the post of Speaker of the Iraqi House of Representatives.
A source familiar with the visit told Channel8 that the election of a new speaker of the House of Representatives, a decision on local governance in Kirkuk, and the withdrawal of coalition troops were among the topics of discussion.
“The Kurds must take a serious and clear position on the withdrawal or retention of US troops, not just a statement and boycott of the sessions of the House of Representatives, but a project to determine their position,” he said.
Halbousi warned of the deteriorating security situation in Iraq, according to the reports, and said the Shiite side was demanding the withdrawal of foreign armed forces, which would lead to major demonstrations, and the situation could go to the point of the dissolution of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s cabinet.
According to the reports, Halbousi called on the PUK and the KDP to reach a strategic agreement as Kurds and Sunnis to consider the withdrawal of coalition forces and the possibility of dissolving Sudani’s government.
Shiite factions originally called for the withdrawal of coalition forces in 2020, but Kurds and Sunnis managed to avoid the issue.
