KDP, PUK reach deal on parliament: session set for October, speakership to PUK
The Kurdistan Parliament, dormant for months, is expected to reconvene in October under a deal between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). Under the agreement, the speakership will go to the PUK, clearing the way for the election of a regional president and the formation of a new government.
RastinewsThe Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) have agreed to convene the Kurdistan Parliament in October. Technical and administrative preparations for reactivating the parliament are already underway.
Under the deal, the first session will elect the parliament's presiding board, with the speakership going to the PUK.
"We can be ready in under 24 hours"
Saman Ahmed Bekir, the Kurdistan Parliament's information director, said all procedures needed to open a session could be completed in less than a day once political parties reach a final agreement and request one.
Bekir said three separate ballot boxes would be set up in the general assembly hall for the board election. Lawmakers will vote separately for speaker, deputy speaker and parliament secretary, with the two youngest MPs serving on the counting committee.
Next: a regional president and a government
According to Bekir, once the presiding board is seated, the process of electing the Kurdistan Region president will begin. The president-elect must then win parliamentary approval within 30 days.
A confidence vote for the prime minister and cabinet members will follow. Permanent specialized committees are also required to be formed and operating within 30 days of the parliament's opening.
Details of the KDP-PUK agreement come from an unnamed source who spoke to Kurdistan24. Neither party has issued an official statement on the matter.
Parliament stalled after its first session
The Kurdistan Region held parliamentary elections on October 20, 2024. The new parliament held its first session on December 2, 2024, when lawmakers were sworn in, but the session was left open after the presiding board could not be elected.
Talks between the KDP and PUK on forming a government have since dragged on without result, leaving the parliament effectively unable to function.