‘Very good’ progress in cabinet formation talks: KDP

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party's (KDP) government formation negotiation team said on Monday that talks between political parties to form a new Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) cabinet have seen “very good” progress. 

“Politically and technically, there is very good progress between KDP, PUK, and most other parties,” Hoshyar Zebari told Rudaw. 

“The process needs time for complete understanding and coordination between all parties. So far, everything is proceeding very well,” he added. 

The negotiation teams of the ruling KDP and its main rival, Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), have met several times since the October 20 parliamentary elections. 

The long-overdue polls resulted in a consolidation of power for the KDP which won 39 spots in the 100-seat legislature, followed by the PUK with 23.

No single party won a majority in the parliament, meaning a governing coalition will have to be formed, as has historically been the case. The KDP and PUK, while rivals, also have shared power in government since the establishment of the Kurdistan Region in the nineties.

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, who is also a deputy leader of the KDP, and the PUK leader Bafel Talabani met on Thursday to discuss government formation talks.

Zebari said on Friday that the meeting was “frank & constructive.”