KDP, PUK leaders to meet on reviving Kurdistan parliament and forming new government

SULAYMANIYAH, Iraq — The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) will hold a leadership-level meeting soon to discuss reactivating the Kurdistan Region parliament and forming a new government, KDP's Sulaymaniyah and Halabja Organizations Bureau head Ali Hossein said on Sunday. Hossein said the talks will address the two issues under the current political circumstances, urging parties to set aside narrow interests and prioritize the broader public interest. He added that the risks facing the Kurdistan Region affect all sides. On cabinet negotiations, Hossein said the New Generation Movement had earlier proposed to the KDP a government formula that excluded the PUK, but the KDP turned it down because it wanted the PUK's participation. He said the KDP does not view its relationship with the PUK purely in terms of seat numbers and stressed that voter will and election results must be respected. No date or venue was given for the announced KDP–PUK meeting.