ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Thursday called on all political parties to support the reactivation of the Kurdistan parliament, professing that the move to restart the legislature was "not directed against anyone or any party" but a "moral, legal, and national duty."

The Kurdistan Region’s parliament reconvened last Wednesday after a two-year hiatus, continuing the proceedings of its first session in 2024 and electing the parliamentary presidency board.

Of the Region’s two largest parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) participated in the session, while the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) boycotted it. A day later, PUK leader Bafel Talabani announced that the party would withdraw from the KRG and revealed plans for a potential separate government.

Speaking at a graduation ceremony at Erbil's Salahaddin University on Thursday, Prime Minister Barzani, who also serves as vice president of the KDP, said that breaking of the deadlock was needed "to protect the legal entity of the Kurdistan Region and its institutions" and "restore trust" among voters.

"It was not directed against anyone or any party," the premier stressed.

Despite the PUK's boycotting of the session, quorum was met thanks to the attendance of several MPs from the PUK and opposition blocs in defiance of their party lines.

"I would like to commend those members of parliament who courageously carried out their moral, legal, and national duty and took part in reactivating the parliament," said Barzani. "I hope that all of Kurdistan’s political parties will view this process with a sense of national responsibility and support this step."

"In light of President [Masoud] Barzani’s call, I hope they will return to the parliament and take part in the talks on forming the new cabinet of the Kurdistan Regional Government."

KDP President Masoud Barzani last Wednesday issued a statement calling on the abstaining blocs to attend parliament "for the sake of serving the people of Kurdistan," similarly insisting that the reactivation was "not directed against any person or party."

In addition to the PUK, other boycotting parties included the National Stance (Halwest) Movement, the Kurdistan Islamic Union, and the New Generation Movement. Halwest leader Ali Hama Saleh announced that two of his MPs who attended the session have been "expelled" from the party, accusing them of "gaining positions and money, but losing their credibility."

During his Thursday speech, Prime Minister Barzani also spoke of recent high-level negotations with Iraqi authorities in Baghdad regarding the upcoming 2027 federal budget, which has been criticized by Erbil for failing to provide adequate funding to the Kurdistan Region.

"We hope that by resolving the issues between the federal government and the Kurdistan Region, and receiving a fair solution on the Kurdistan Region's share of the federal budget... we can help provide more job opportunities for our young generation."