At a Glance

• The Kurdistan Democratic Party bloc has hit back at the New Generation Movement over reactivating the Kurdistan Parliament.

• The KDP declares that its party stands ready to reconvene the legislature immediately.

• New Generation refuses to help reactivate the parliament as long as the leadership presidency remains held by a single party.

The Kurdistan Democratic Party bloc has hit back at the New Generation Movement over the reactivation of the Kurdistan Parliament, declaring that the party stands ready to reconvene the legislature.

Key Statements and Focus Area

• KDP lawmaker Mard Ali Rasul Khala stated that, “The Interim Speaker (Speaker by Seniority) is from their [New Generation] side, and they bear a greater legal responsibility.”

• Following Rasul’s statement, New Generation lawmaker Goran Dibagayi said, “Do not harbor the illusion that we will activate the parliament while the leadership presidency remains reserved for a specific party.”

Speaking to reporters in Erbil on Thursday, KDP lawmaker Rasul noted that the New Generation “must honestly come and be present in the Kurdistan Parliament to initiate the process of reactivating the Kurdistan Parliament.”

He stressed that political parties must step forward, emphasizing that the process is entirely democratic.

“The most logical and legitimate way to reactivate the parliament is inside the parliament hall, and the process must be resolved there,” he added.

He highlighted that the New Generation has the right to complain, and the public expects the MPs to fulfill their legal duties.

The MP also said that the formation of the next Kurdistan Regional Government must stem from the parliament.

Reacting to Rasul’s statement, New Generation MP Goran Dibagayi issued a press release asserting that his faction, which holds 15 parliamentary seats, will under no circumstances help reactivate the parliament as long as the leadership presidency remains controlled by a single party.

“This is completely unacceptable to us, and the public will not accept it from us either,” he affirmed.

Dibagayi underscored the faction's stance, emphasizing that they do not want any positions in either the government or the parliament. 

He noted that as their faction leader announced today, "If the KDP is genuinely concerned about Kurdistan, let them relinquish the leadership presidency so we can reactivate the parliament by Sunday and allow the leadership presidency to assume its duties."

“However, do not harbor the illusion that we will activate the parliament while the leadership presidency remains reserved for a specific party,” he added.

FYI

The current dispute follows a stalemate in government formation and power-sharing negotiations after the October 2024 parliamentary elections, which has left the Kurdistan Region cabinet and legislature deadlocked for two years.

The New Generation Movement and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan formed an alliance to challenge the status quo, prompting a swift rejection from the Kurdistan Democratic Party, which refuses to recognize the bloc. 

Highlighting this friction, New Generation bloc head Kurdawan Jamal affirmed that the opposition is ready to reactivate the parliament, provided the opposition assumes the parliamentary leadership presidency bureau from the KDP. 

"If the KDP is telling the truth and truly cares about Kurdistan, then let them step forward and relinquish their parliamentary positions," Jamal stated, emphasizing that it is “unacceptable” for the executive authority and the parliament to be controlled by the exact same governing parties.

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