A prominent leader from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), led by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, revealed that the party planned to maintain its strategic alliance with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) during the parliamentary elections scheduled for Sept. 21 in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, despite the fact that the two parties will participate via electoral lists that are independent from one another.
Widespread participation and fierce competition are expected, yet reliable sources confirmed to Al-Monitor that Kurdistan Regional Government President Massoud Barzani is working toward a comfortable majority in the new parliament to allow him to form a government without the PUK, thus pushing Talabani, who is still recuperating from a stroke suffered in late 2012, from the Kurdish political scene.
The PUK's political and popular weight is concentrated in the city of Sulaimaniyah, while the cities of Erbil and Dahuk, along with some areas in the Ninevah plain, are strongholds of the Barzani-led KDP.
Saadi Pire, a prominent Kurdish politician and member of the PUK's political bureau, told Al-Monitor, "The political leadership of President Talabani's party wants to form a new Kurdish government that is characterized by broad representation." He stressed, "Given the delicate situation in the areas surrounding the [Kurdistan] Region [of Iraq], as well as the major political challenges faced by Kurds in the region, the Kurdish political forces must ensure that the two major Kurdish parties continue to implement the joint management agreement."
AL-MONITOR All-Access gives you unlimited access to all our journalism, the full Daily Briefing, exclusive interviews, premium newsletters, and live events — for less than $2/week.
