ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – A senior Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) official on Wednesday welcomed renewed efforts to end the Kurdistan Region's prolonged political deadlock, saying they have eased tensions and created conditions for a meeting with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) "in the near future."

On Saturday, the KDP announced that its political bureau had begun meeting with the Kurdistan Region’s political parties at the direction of President Barzani in an effort to end the political deadlock.

Saadi Ahmed Pira, a member of the PUK politburo, praised initiatives by President Masoud Barzani to break the impasse, saying PUK leader Bafel Talabani had also responded positively to move negotiations forward.

"There is now an opportunity that has been created for holding a meeting in the near future," Pira told reporters, adding that although no date has been set for talks between the two parties, both sides have shown a strong willingness to reach an agreement.

The KDP and PUK emerged as the two largest parties in the October 2024 parliamentary elections, winning 39 and 23 seats respectively. However, negotiations to form the next Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) cabinet have repeatedly stalled.

Lawmakers were sworn in two months after the elections, but repeated attempts to convene parliament have failed because sessions did not reach the required legal quorum.

The KDP and PUK have each blamed the other for the impasse. One of the main sticking points remains the distribution of senior government posts and sovereign ministries, particularly the interior ministry, which the PUK is seeking.

Pira also commented on Tuesday's visit by US envoy to Iraq Tom Barrack, who met with top leaders from both ruling parties and stressed the urgency of forming the new KRG cabinet and reactivating parliament.

"If we want the Kurdistan Region to be taken seriously, we need to resolve our internal problems as soon as possible and make parliament and the government functional again," Pira said.

The political deadlock was further complicated in January when the PUK and the New Generation Movement (NGM), which holds 15 seats, announced a preliminary agreement to form a united front to challenge the KDP in efforts to shape the next government. 

In early June, the PUK said it would negotiate alongside the NGM as “one package” in talks with the KDP. However, the KDP has reportedly insisted on engaging with the PUK and NGM as separate political parties, rather than recognizing their alliance as a single bloc.