ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - There are no more obstacles hindering the formation of the next Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) cabinet, an official from the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) told reporters on Wednesday, adding that the process should be completed "soon".

The KDP and PUK emerged as the main parties from the October 20 parliamentary elections, 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.

“All the important topics regarding the formation of the government have been discussed and good steps have been taken,” Ali Hussein, head of the KDP’s Sulaimani and Halabja organizing bureau, said during a press conference on Wednesday.

The KDP official said that the two ruling parties have addressed most of the outstanding issues between them and that there is a good understanding between the two sides, adding “we believe the government will be formed soon.”

“The current stage of the Kurdistan Region is an important stage and it is the responsibility of everyone. There is nothing that can be a problem before this process and we must pass this stage,” he added.

In early February, the KDP and the PUK held what they called “the last meeting” of their joint negotiation committee for talks on forming the next cabinet, announcing that they had struck “initial agreements.”

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.