Iraq News Now

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – High-level leaders of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) are meeting in Erbil today to continue negotiations on the formation of the next government cabinet and both parties are calling today’s gathering “decisive”.

“If the problem was only over the distribution of ministerial positions it would have been resolved in a week or so,” PUK negotiator Saadi Ahmed Pira told Rudaw.

Pira said that the core of the negotiations is over policies and the government agenda for the next four years.

“The problem goes beyond the distribution of positions,” he added. “The problem has multiple dimensions including future policies, development policies, and economic policies.”

The PUK has been in the government in various coalitions with the KDP since 2005.

“This cabinet might need to restructure the government and its policies and this requires an agreement among parties.” Pira said of his party’s position.

At today’s meeting the KDP negotiation team is headed by current prime minister and the party’s deputy leader Nechirvan Barzani. Their PUK counterpart is led by Kosrat Rasul.

“The government will not succeed if formed alone,” KDP leadership council member Khasro Goran told Rudaw.

Goran said that the KDP is seeking other parties’ participation in the next cabinet.

“The KDP will do its best to convince other parties to join the government so that they too take part in governance.” Goran said.