ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Kurdistan Region’s two leading parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), have “responded positively” to the initiative from the leader of the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) to end the political deadlock, with a meeting set to be held soon, the Islamic party said on Thursday.

In mid-May, Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) leader Salahaddin Bahaddin met with both KDP and PUK leadership to present an initiative aimed at ending the political stalemate. Bahaddin, whose party has four seats in parliament, said at the time that both parties have been receptive to the initiative.

“Both the PUK and the KDP have given a positive response to the initiative of Salahaddin Bahaaddin,” read a statement from KIU spokesperson Salahaddin Babakr, on Thursday.

“In the coming days, a summit meeting will be held among the KDP and the PUK and those parties that have factions in the Kurdistan Parliament,” he added.

The developments come as tensions between KDP and PUK have witnessed a reescalation in recent weeks, with both sides accusing the other of hindering the formation of the next Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) cabinet, nearly two years after elections were held.

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 KRG cabinet have repeatedly stalled.

“The political deadlock will be broken, and a suitable mechanism will be set for how to activate the parliament and form the new government cabinet,” Babakr said.

Osman Karwani, a senior member of the KIU political bureau, told The New Region that the KDP wants parliament reactivated before reaching an agreement on the next KRG cabinet, while the PUK wants both issues settled together.

“This is the main disagreement between the two sides,” he said.

Earlier in July, PUK leader Bafel Talabani and Shaswar Abdulwahid, leader of the New Generation Movement (NGM), finalized a deal to work together as an alliance in the upcoming KRG cabinet, without explicitly stating intention to exclude the KDP from the cabinet.

NGM has 15 spots on the legislature, bringing the alliance’s total parliamentary seats to 38; still one short of the KDP’s 39.