PUK sets early July target for political deal with New Generation Movement

SULAYMANIYAH, Iraq — The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) said a political agreement with the New Generation Movement will be signed in early July, according to a statement from the party. Speaking at a press conference in Sulaymaniyah, PUK spokesperson Karwan Kazni said the party would not compromise on the rights of the Kurdistan people and called for genuine reforms to change the region's governing approach. Kazni said policies of imposing will and exclusion had undermined stability in Kurdistan and caused political and administrative losses, without elaborating on the details of the prospective deal. He blamed the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) for delays in forming a Kurdistan Regional Government and said the PUK wanted the next cabinet built on a genuine partnership and political understanding with the KDP. The current government has been operating as a caretaker administration pending the formation of a new cabinet, Kazni added. Following the Kurdistan parliamentary elections in October 2024, the legislature convened only once, on December 2, 2024, for a swearing-in ceremony, and has not met again amid ongoing political disputes.