ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The top two Kurdish parties who secured the majority of seats up for grabs in Kurdish areas held a meeting to discuss sending a strong team to Baghdad as the new federal government takes shape.
Senior members of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) met Saturday night. Rudaw has learned that the meeting was held at Nechirvan Barzani’s residence and Qubad Talabani was in attendance.
“The PUK and KDP have met together. Initial talks have been held as to the future,” Harem Kamal Agha, a leadership member of the PUK who won a seat in the Iraqi parliament, said of the meeting.
The Kurdish parties have common interests, he explained, and the KDP and PUK agreed that all the parties should work together, “So that as strong and joint defenders, they can achieve all our rights in Baghdad.”
The Kurdish parties collectively won 58 seats Iraq’s May 12 parliamentary elections – 25 went to KDP and 18 to PUK.
There have, however, been complaints about fraud from all sides. Opposition parties have called for a complete do-over of the vote.
Incumbent Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who came third in the polls, urged all parties to accept the results and get to work on forming a “strong” government.
Relations between Erbil and Baghdad have improved in recent months after Baghdad’s rejection of Kurdistan’s vote for independence and military takeover of the disputed areas. The two sides made progress on some issues, including lifting Baghdad’s international flight ban on Erbil and Sulaimani airports and the federal government sending funds to cover salaries of state employees.
The major issue of oil is yet to be resolved, however.
Further talks were put on hold during the election.
“Today’s Iraq is different from how it was before or during ISIS war. It is Iraq after victory over ISIS. The Kurds need a strong team including all the political parties to project a real and strong representation of the people of Kurdistan in Baghdad,” said Agha.
Kurdish parties tried and failed to form a united electoral list ahead of the vote.
Gorran, Komal, and CDJ formed the Nishtiman (Homeland) coalition to run in the disputed areas.
The KDP has said they will open all the closed doors so that Kurds are unanimous in Baghdad.
Khasro Goran, a leadership member of the party, said they have begun a dialogue to ensure Kurdistani parties go back to Baghdad with one roadmap.
“It is better if we can protect the Kurds’ unity and go to Baghdad as a Kurdistani coalition. This is KDP’s first choice. If this couldn’t be done, there is plenty of time ahead to make a decision. It is very early now,” he said.