Iraq News Now

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — A long awaited, but contentious, session of the Kurdistan Region parliament will go ahead on Monday.

It is unclear whether the second-largest party, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) with 21 seats, is ready to participate. Its apparent joint agreement with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) from Friday has not been formally put in writing and approved.

"We have not yet been informed of taking part or boycotting today's session," Karwan Gaznai, a PUK MP, told Rudaw.

The KDP holds 45 seats in the 111-seat legislative body. It’s believed they could achieve a quorum.

"With and without PUK's participation, the Kurdistan parliament's session will go ahead as planned at 11 a.m.," Hevidar Ahmed, a KDP MP, confirmed to Rudaw. "All the other blocs, except the PUK, have promised to show up in the session."

According to a call from Reving Haruri, the acting speaker of the parliament as the eldest MP, the agenda of Monday’s assembly is to elect the leadership which includes the speaker, deputy speaker and the second deputy — also called secretary.

In the session, three new MPs, in place of the PUK's Qubad Talabani, the New Generation's Shaswar Abdulwahid and Shaaban Ali Shaaban from the KDP, will be sworn-in. The trio is expected to vie for governmental or party posts, although not guaranteed. 

In addition to Haruri, the session will also be run by two youngest MPs — one from the KDP and the other from KIU.

The New Generation won eight seats in its first ever election. It already has declared it will join the opposition. It has hinted they will run candidates for the posts of speaker and deputy speaker.

In case of PUK's absence in the assembly, the KDP will have a plan to prevent the New Generation from winning any post within the parliament be it the speaker or deputy speaker.

"If the New Generation presents a candidate for the post of the speaker, then the KDP also will present a candidate for the post to assume it temporarily until the PUK MPs return to parliament. If the KDP MP makes it, he will run the post temporarily,” said freshman KDP MP Ahmed.

Ahmed explained the KDP's candidate for the post of deputy speaker is Hemin Hawrami.

The second deputy goes to the Turkmen. Rudaw has learnt that Muna Qawachi is most likely to get it.

The KDP's Ahmed went on to explain that after the parliament session "the legal committee will be formed and then the committee will prepare a project to amend the KRG presidency law. Only one point will be amended which is that the president should be elected by MPs."

KDP and the Change Movement (Gorran) will sign their bilateral pact in Pirmam on Monday. They agreed in principle on Sunday after Gorran's demands were "approved."

The Kurdistan Region held a delayed parliamentary election on September 30.