ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The technical committees of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) met on the third day in a row, hoping to thrash out the drafting of an agenda for the formation of the tenth cabinet.
The New Region has learned that Thursday’s meeting between the two parties is the continuation of their Wednesday and Tuesday meetings, which lasted 15 hours combined, without holding a press conference or revealing details of the meetings to the media.
Thursday’s meeting between the two parties' technical committees is the fifth of its kind between them and is to finalize the drafting of the basis of an agreement to form the KRG’s tenth cabinet, The New Region’s reporter said outside the Saad Abdulla Hall where the meeting is taking place.
The KDP’s technical committee consists of Pshtiwan Sadiq, Dilshad Shahab, and Umed Sabah, while the PUK’s delegates are Rewaz Fayaq, Amanj Raheem, and Shalaw Sheikh Salah.
After a two-year delay, and months of wrangling, the Kurdistan Region held its parliamentary elections on October 20.
The KDP and the PUK emerged as the first and second largest parties from the October polls, gaining 39 and 23 seats respectively. The two parties appear poised to form the government, as most of the other parties have already declared their opposition.
The KDP and PUK could form the next cabinet without the inclusion of any other parties as they make up more than half of the legislature. Combined with the five minority quota seats, the winners of which are already believed to be affiliated with either of the two parties, the KDP and the PUK would have 67 lawmakers on their side, allowing them to pass or deny any legislation in the parliament with a two-thirds majority.
The Kurdistan Region’s newly-elected members of parliament were sworn in early December, officially commencing their legislative duties. By law, the lawmakers were supposed to elect a speaker during the first session, but the vote was not carried out due to failure to reach the legal quorum.
Both parties, and the New Generation Movement, have submitted candidates for the post of parliament speaker, but a session to vote on the position has yet to be announced.
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