Qubad Talabani, Supervisor of the Secretariat Bureau of President Mam Jalal, met with The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) bloc lawmakers of the Kurdistan Parliament on Tuesday, asserting that the party is actively pushing for a new government based on a “genuine partnership” while maintaining a powerful position in Baghdad.

Talabani used the meeting to brief lawmakers on the political situation in the Kurdistan Region while defining the PUK's current strategy and influence. 

The meeting comes as the parliament remains effectively frozen following the long-delayed October 20, 2024 elections, with lawmakers having convened just once before entering an official summer recess today.

The negotiations to form the 10th Kurdistan Regional Government remain deadlocked. The PUK and the New Generation Movement have aligned their seats to demand a cabinet built on a genuine power-sharing partnership and a change in the governance of Kurdistan. 

Conversely, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) maintains that government formation should strictly reflect the official election results.

PUK Is ‘Not Obstructing’ Government, Urging Lawmakers to Serve Public Daily

Talabani said that “all allies and international parties are fully aware of the PUK’s position,” adding that the party “is not obstructing the formation of the new cabinet; rather, it is actively pushing for it.” 

He noted that from the very beginning of the negotiations, the PUK made it clear that it would only participate in a government built on “genuine partnership,” which is “a stance rooted in the party's commitment to the promises made to the people of the Kurdistan Region.”

Talabani also called on PUK lawmakers to honor their commitments to voters by actively tracking and addressing public grievances daily, despite the legislative freeze. 

Talabani: PUK Holds Powerful Position in Baghdad 

He also emphasized that the “PUK holds an influential and strong position in Baghdad during this phase, noting that internationally, the party's stance and policies on crucial Iraqi and regional issues are being taken into account more than ever before.”