Turkmens agree to share Kurdistan Parliament Deputy Speaker post
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Turkmen factions in the Kurdistan Parliament have agreed to take on the post of Second Deputy to the Parliamentary Speaker, splitting the term of four years among two candidates, a Turkmen lawmaker said on Monday.
The Turkmen minority group holds five quota seats out of total 111 in the Kurdistan Parliament.
Two Turkmen lawmakers had previously told Kurdistan 24 they had secured the post of Second Deputy to the Kurdistan Parliamentary Speaker in negotiations with the leading Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).
The ethnic minority group has multiple small parties, but, prior to the Sept. 30 parliamentary election in the Kurdistan Region, they united their efforts and ran under one electoral list.
“We, as Turkmens, have agreed that two of our lawmakers each would take the post of the second deputy speaker, each for two years, in this term of Parliament,” a Turkmen lawmaker told Kurdistan 24 on Monday, on condition of anonymity.
Muna Kahveci will hold the post in the first two years, followed by Mohammed Sa’deddin, who will take over for the remainder of the term, the lawmaker explained.
This comes as major Kurdish parties continue to negotiate over the formation of the new Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) cabinet.
In the September election, the KDP won after securing 45 seats. Trailing behind was the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), with 21 seats, and Gorran (Change) with 12.
Editing by Nadia Riva