ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the largest bloc in the Kurdish legislature, will begin visiting other political parties for the government formation talks, as the Iraqi electoral body approved the final results of the October 20’s parliamentary elections, a party official told The New Region.
“Starting from today, the KDP delegation will start visiting the political parties, and talks will start,” Arif Rushdi, an advisor to the KDP politburo, said. “We will visit all the sides.”
The KDP has already established a negotiating team of four members led by Hoshyar Zebari to hold talks with all the parties who have gained seats in the Kurdistan Region Parliament.
Rushdi went on to say “We want all the sides to approach us with a Kurdish spirit for a new government.
“Our agenda is; one government, one parliament, one Peshmerga force.
“We hope all the parties will carry that responsibility.”
The Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) on Sunday approved the final results of the Kurdistan Region’s 20 parliamentary elections after reviewing and rejecting all the appeals numbering 41 that had been submitted by candidates and political parties.
Soon after the approval, the IHEC sent an official correspondence to the Presidency of the Kurdistan Region, with the presidency’s spokesperson Dilshad Shahab announcing President Nechivan Barzani would “soon" issue an order to call on the newly-elected parliament to hold its first parliamentary session.
In the October 20 election, which was held after a two-year delay, the KDP emerged as the clear victor, scoring over 400,000 votes more than its nearest competitor, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).
The KDP emerged as the largest bloc in the parliament after grabbing 39 seats, followed by the PUK’s 23 in the second place.
The third place went to the New Generation with 15 seats, followed by the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) with seven seats, the Halwest (Stance) Movement with four seats, the Kurdistan Justice Group with three seats, the People’s Front with two seats, the Change Movement (Gorran) and the Kurdistan Coalition each grabbed one seat.
Some parties who denounced the election results and alleged vote rigging and manipulation, have already announced their opposition, including the KIU, Komal, and Halwest Movement. The New Generation’s stance, however, has remained ambiguous.
Leaders of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, joined by scores more from neighboring countries and beyond, called for a swift formation of the next cabinet in the Kurdistan Region, during a forum in Duhok on Friday.
Addressing attendants at the fifth Middle East Peace & Security Forum (MEPS) titled 'The Paradox of Peace in the Middle East’, Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid called on the political parties of the Kurdistan Region to ramp up efforts to form “a strong government to serve the people of Kurdistan,” while adding only “ordinary people will pay the price” of rivalries between the political parties
“I am calling on all the parties that won seats in the Kurdistan parliament to speed up their efforts through dialogue and meetings to form a new government,” Rashid said.
KDP President Masoud Barzani, for his part, said that government formation talks will commence after the announcement of the final results of the Kurdistan Region's parliamentary elections by the Iraqi electoral body in the next few days.
"Talks will start between all the parties for the parliament to start work as soon as possible, and other steps to follow. I hope you will all support us to have one Region, one parliament, one government, and one Peshmerga force in the future.”
The international community, including the US and Western countries, and authorities in Baghdad, have on several occasions called on the Kurdish leadership to swiftly form the next government.
To bring all the parties closer together, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani visited the Kurdistan Region last week, holding meetings with almost all the political parties who gained seats in the Kurdish legislature, urging a quick formation of the Region’s next cabinet.
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