Ashwaq Jaf, a member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Central Committee, stated that government formation talks between the KDP and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) are ongoing, denying claims that the Kurdistan Islamic Union’s (KIU) initiative to resolve the political impasse has failed. 

The KIU Secretary-General, Salahaddin Bahaaddin, presented an initiative in mid-May to break the months-long institutional deadlock paralyzing the Kurdistan Region, which included a one-month timeframe for the political parties to reach an agreement. 

The KIU held multiple meetings with the KDP and PUK separately, both of whom welcomed the proposals.

The latest positions of the PUK and KDP highlight a mutual willingness to return to the negotiating table, though a severe stalemate persists regarding top government positions and alliance frameworks.

KDP Official: Time Remains Ahead of June 17 for High-Level Talks 

Jaf told Channel8 that there is still time before June 17 for high-level talks to be scheduled. 

“We are in talks, but the date for sitting at the negotiating table must be set and officially announced,” she noted.

Jaf expressed hope that all political parties would assume responsibility during this phase to safeguard the Kurdistan Region's entity, protect the rights of its citizens, and preserve its achievements. 

She emphasized that rumors and media reports circulating about the failure of the new initiative for the upcoming meeting are far from the truth, adding that publishing such claims has a negative impact on the ongoing government formation negotiations.

PUK Call for 'Genuine Partnership' and New Governance 

Last week, PUK spokesperson Karwan Gaznayi told reporters that while the PUK holds a different governance vision for the Kurdistan Region, it still shares “common ground” with the KDP. 

Speaking at the Delphi Forum Slemani on Saturday, PUK President Bafel Jalal Talabani stated that “no one wants the previous government” and stressed that the new government should not be formed in the same way, as his party calls for a “genuine partnership” in the upcoming cabinet.

Parties Split Over Government Negotiation Framework 

Meanwhile, KDP leadership and media sources indicate the party's insistence on negotiating with political factions as individual parties. The KDP has reportedly refused to recognize the new PUK-led parliamentary coalition with the New Generation Movement as a single unified entity.

However, the PUK views its formal coalition as a strategic alliance designed to establish political balance and force governance reforms in the Kurdistan Region.