KDP accuses PUK of blocking formation of Kurdistan Regional government

ERBIL, Iraq — The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) accused the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) on Friday of deliberately delaying the formation of the Kurdistan Regional Government following the October 2024 elections. KDP spokesperson Mahmud Muhammad said in a written statement that the PUK had slowed the process of activating the new parliament and cabinet, leaving government formation in limbo since the vote. The KDP said the PUK had undermined the election of the parliamentary speaker's bureau, which in turn held up the broader government formation process, and alleged that the PUK did not respect the ballot or the outcome. Muhammad said electoral success is the foundation of legitimacy, adding that the PUK, with its 23 lawmakers, was infringing on the rights of the people of Kurdistan. PUK spokesperson Karwan Kizneyi responded that the party would not compromise on Kurdish rights and that administrative reform is needed in the Region. He did not address the KDP's specific allegations. The Kurdistan Region parliament has convened only once since the October 2024 elections, with members sworn in before the session was suspended. The KDP renewed its call for dialogue to complete the government formation process without further delay. No date for the next parliamentary session has been announced.