ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) on Tuesday accused the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) of conducting a “policy of imposition” and disregarding the will of the Kurdistan Region’s voters by “obstructing” the formation of the next Kurdistan government. 

“It is precisely the PUK that seeks a policy of imposition by force on the outcomes and results of the election, without regard for the votes and will of the people of Kurdistan, disregarding any consideration for the votes,” KDP spokesperson Mahmoud Mohammed said in a statement. 

He was responding to his PUK counterpart Karwan Gaznayi, who accused the KDP in a Monday presser of pursuing a policy of “dominance and unilateralism” that “harms the Kurdistan Region.” 

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. 

“It is the PUK that has created discrimination and prevents the implementation of laws, administrative and financial regulations, and KRG projects across the entirety of Kurdistan's territory,” the KDP spokesperson asserted. 

He further warned that the party’s “restraint in responding has its limits.” 

The Kurdistan Region’s 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.