Kurdish parties edge toward split rule
KDP and PUK leaders trade blame as the threat of two rival governments in northern Iraq grows following a disputed parliamentary session.
By Connor Murphy ·
A political standoff in northern Iraq is moving closer to a rare split in governance between two rival Kurdish parties. The Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan are on the verge of establishing separate administrations in their respective power bases, a development that would mark a sharp break from decades of shared rule.
The tension escalated after the Kurdistan Democratic Party, led by Massoud Barzani, convened a parliamentary session in Erbil last week. The session proceeded without the participation of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. In response, Patriotic Union leader Bafel Talabani announced his party would withdraw from the government. This move has increased the likelihood of a rival administration forming in Sulaimaniyah, the Patriotic Union's stronghold.
Independent Kurdish politician Yasin Aziz described the current situation as a rapid breakdown in relations. He stated that the specter of two administrations is now very close and that the outlines of such a scenario are becoming clear. Aziz argued that the failure to reach an agreement before activating parliament deepened historical divisions between the two dominant political forces.
The dispute follows the sixth parliamentary elections held on October 20, 2024. In that vote, the Kurdistan Democratic Party secured 39 seats while the Patriotic Union won 23. The 16-seat gap left the larger party with a mandate that still required cooperation with smaller groups, including the New Generation Movement which won 15 seats. After a two-year wait, the Kurdistan Democratic Party chose to reactivate the regional parliament without its main rival.
Subhi Mandalawi, a member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, blamed the impasse on the Patriotic Union's refusal to collaborate. He noted that his party had successfully held a session without the Patriotic Union in 2018, leading to their subsequent return to government. Mandalawi warned that continuing to obstruct legislative institutions two years after the elections harms the region domestically and internationally. He dismissed the threat of separation as hasty and unrealistic, claiming the Patriotic Union would be the biggest loser if it proceeded.
Mahmood Khoshnaw, a senior official for the Patriotic Union, countered that convening parliament without his party departed from the principle of partnership. He warned that if a prime minister is appointed in Erbil, the Patriotic Union will take the same step in Sulaimaniyah. Khoshnaw stated that the region is heading toward chaos unless the crisis is addressed rationally and realistically.
Legal experts question whether Sulaimaniyah can legally separate from the Kurdish regional government. Ramadan Albadran, a constitutional affairs expert, said the dispute is a deep political crisis rather than a constitutional one. He noted that the Iraqi Constitution provides no mechanism for dividing the region into zones of influence. Albadran argued that if the Patriotic Union moves to separate Sulaimaniyah without a mandate from the elected regional government, it would resemble an act of rebellion.
The Kurdistan Regional Government has operated as a semiautonomous entity since the Iraqi Constitution was enacted after the 2003 invasion. This document recognized the northern region as a federal entity with its own legislative, executive, and judicial powers. Prior to this, Iraq's Kurds had largely governed themselves since the establishment of a no-fly zone in the early 1990s.
