The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, led by Pavel Jalal Talabani, began taking practical steps on Saturday to implement its decision to withdraw from the Kurdistan Regional Government, following the election of the presidency of the regional parliament by the Kurdistan Democratic Party.
A source told the Video News Agency that the governmental council of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan has started to take the necessary measures to implement the withdrawal decision, with senior officials and holders of high positions from the party refraining from resuming their official duties starting from the beginning of the week.
Information indicates that the Patriotic Union occupies dozens of leadership and administrative positions in the ninth government formation of the Kurdistan Region, distributed among the presidency of the region, the council of ministers, ministries, and governmental agencies, in addition to positions for deputy ministers, general directors, and consultants.
Among the key positions are the Deputy Prime Minister of the region, Qubad Talabani, the Deputy of the region, Jaafar Sheikh Mustafa, in addition to five ministerial portfolios, which are planning held by Dara Rashid, culture and youth led by Hama Hama Saeed, agriculture and water resources headed by Beigrd Talabani, Peshmerga affairs led by Shorsh Ismail, and higher education and scientific research supervised by Aram Hama Mineh.
The list also includes the Secretary General of the Council of Ministers, Amanj Rahim, the head of the General Authority for Mine Affairs, Jabbar Mustafa, the head of the Tourism Authority, Zhan Saber, and the head of the General Authority for Kurdish Areas Outside the Region's Administration, Fahmy Burhan.
At the level of deputy ministers, the positions include Shilan Aref in the Ministry of Justice, Chito Saleh in the Ministry of Interior, Ahmed Mufti in Natural Resources, Rahil Fereydun in Health, Zainuddin Mawlood in Awqaf and Religious Affairs, and Ali Osman in Trade and Industry, in addition to Daban Shadlah, deputy in the Department of External Relations in the region's government.
According to the information, the presence of the Patriotic Union within governmental institutions extends to dozens of administrative and advisory positions, including general directors, deputy general directors, and consultants in the Ministry of Finance, particularly in customs, budgeting, taxes, and insurance, as well as in the Company Registration Department in the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
The positions also include the administration of dams and water reservoirs affiliated with the Ministry of Agriculture, institutions for the affairs of martyrs, Anfal victims, and political prisoners, in addition to the position of Director of Electricity Distribution in the Kurdistan Region, held by Qarman Suleiman, along with several other administrative sites.
These moves come after the announcement by the President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Pavel Jalal Talabani, of his party's withdrawal from the ninth government formation, in response to the election of the presidency of the Kurdistan Parliament in a session held in the absence of the Patriotic Union and several other political forces.
Talabani had announced in a televised speech following a meeting of his party’s leadership council that he did not recognize the session of parliament and its outcomes, describing the current government as a caretaker government that "failed" in its duties, and confirming the end of his party's participation in it.
The start of the implementation of the withdrawal decision raises questions about the future management of governmental institutions in the Kurdistan Region, particularly the ministries and departments that the Patriotic Union occupies leadership positions in, amidst escalating political disputes with the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the stalling of agreements regarding the formation of the tenth government.
The Kurdistan Parliament resumed its work on the past Wednesday, the fourth of November, by electing its presidency with the presence of 52 deputies out of 100, where Vala Farid, the candidate of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, was elected as president of the parliament, Rami Nuri, representing the Christian component, as her deputy, and Mona Qahouji, representing the Turkmen component, as the secretary of the parliament.
The session was held amid an official boycott by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, the New Generation Movement, and other political forces, while the Kurdistan Democratic Party considered the reactivation of the legislative institution a necessary step to protect the constitutional entity of the region and end the state of paralysis.
The parliament had entered a state of stagnation since the elections held on 20 October 2024, in which the Kurdistan Democratic Party won 39 seats, followed by the Patriotic Union with 23 seats, and the New Generation Movement with 15 seats, before disagreements over government formation and position distribution prevented the completion of electing its presidency after its first session in December of the same year.