Iraq’s Kurdish parties struggle to unite amid deep divisions
The main parties in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq have met at a high level amidst divisions and difficulties to form the government many months after the elections.
ERBIL, Iraq — As dust and sandstorms color the sky orange and drone strikes by militias and neighboring nations continue, Kurdistan Region of Iraq leaders are trying to find a way to overcome internal political disaccord.
A visit by Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani to the stronghold of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), Sulaimaniyah, on May 21 was an attempt at solving this and other issues. The meeting was followed by another high-ranking meeting in Erbil today to follow up on the first meeting.
Over seven months since the Oct. 10 parliamentary elections, Iraq at the national level still does not have a prime minister or a president, the latter being the longstanding preserve of the Kurds.
Barzani belongs to the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which holds the most seats in both the national and regional parliaments. It is headquartered in Erbil, the regional capital.
