Bafel Talabani talks government formation, PUK plans for reform

ERBIL — Bafel Talabani, president of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, stressed that a balanced power structure in Kurdistan is unattainable without the PUK’s participation, asserting that a government would be “impossible” without his party’s involvement.

Speaking at the MERI Forum in Erbil, Talabani commented on the recent election, stating, “The election process did not conclude with the ballot; rather, the real process begins now as we determine who holds the strength to negotiate on government formation.” He expressed satisfaction with the PUK’s performance, noting, “We are the only party that managed to increase our votes by 92%.”

According to final results from the Oct. 20 Kurdistan parliamentary election, the PUK secured 409,548 votes (19.46%), translating into 23 of 100 parliamentary seats, while its primary rival, the Kurdistan Democratic Party, received 812,794 votes (38.62%), earning 39 seats.

Talabani reiterated the PUK’s dedication to dialogue, saying, “We are ready to engage with all political factions because the PUK has a reform project aimed at restructuring the government.” He underscored the need for collaboration, urging, “We must learn from each other and work on fortifying our government agencies.”

Addressing coalition building, Talabani invited political factions to assess their capacity to form a government, posing, “Let’s see who can put together the required 50+1 for government formation.” He remarked that “the Green Zone is really green,” a reference to the PUK-controlled areas in Sulaymaniyah and Halabja.

Reflecting on PUK’s electoral stance, Talabani commented, “We took a stand on self-defense—look how KDP seats were reduced.” He also declared, “We will not accept another injustice against the PUK; we stand firm on the commitments we made during the election call.”

Talabani also criticized the Gorran Movement founder’s split from the PUK , saying, “Nawshirwan Mustafa made a grave error by disrupting the balance of power in Kurdistan. The new leadership of the PUK has now restored equilibrium.”

Gorran lost all but one of its seats in this month’s election.

Acknowledging the role of opposition, Talabani noted, “It’s essential that every country has a strong opposition.” He praised the New Generation Movement, which increased its seats from 8 to 15, adding, “Mr. Shaswar [Abdulwahid, opposition New Generation Movement leader] has a big responsibility now.”

He criticized the current cabinet, in which the PUK is a coalition partner, calling it “the worst we’ve ever had.”

He also outlined future plans, saying, “We have a reform project called Kurdistan 2030. We may reveal it to the public soon.” He added, “Our project aims to address the major issues facing Kurdistan: oil, security, and relations with Baghdad.”

Discussing issues with taxation and foreign influence, Talabani highlighted that “Even our tax system is flawed. A foreign company pays no tax, while a local baker is taxed.”

On the Peshmerga unification process, he said: “The process of unifying forces was part of Mam Jalal [Talabani]’s vision—to bring all forces together as one. However, I must be candid: I don’t see this process being realized within the KDP. It seems they intend to use this initiative to increase their own control over the Peshmerga forces of Kurdistan.”