KDP, PUK to reactivate Iraqi Kurdistan parliament without Gorran: source

MESOP NEWS REPORT SOUTH KURDISTAN

Nrttv – 10 May 2017 – SULAIMANI, Iraq’s Kurdistan region,— A move is underway by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) to form a quorum and appoint new successors for leadership positions in the Kurdistan Parliament, sources with knowledge of the development disclosed on Tuesday.

According to NRT, the PUK and KDP have come to an agreement in their latest meeting to reactivate parliament, a move in which they say Change Movement’s (Gorran) participation is not needed.

In the move to reactivate parliament the KDP and PUK, with 56 seats in the Kurdistan Parliament, are to pursue a compromise with another party to create a legislative assembly headed by the oldest MP to appoint new parliament leadership.Depending on Article Six from the Council of Representatives, the two parties claim it is permitted to hold an emergency session without parliament leadership if the speaker is invited, or if one fourth of legislators’ consent towards holding the session.The Kurdistan Parliament is made up of 111 seats, however there is no guarantee that all KDP and PUK seats would vote for the move.After a previous meeting with the KDP, the PUK sought Gorran’s approval to change the speaker of the Kurdistan Parliament – currently helds by Gorran’s Yousif Mohammed – in order to not need to turn to Article Six.

Gorran officials however expressed a stance in opposition to the PUK’s demand during their meeting held on Monday (May 8).Meanwhile, a member of the KDP politburo and Kurdistan Parliament Deputy Speaker Jafaar Emniki disclosed an ambition of his party for the possibility of a triple compromise to take place “if the parties couldn’t come to a comprehensive agreement to reactivate parliament.”

One of the parties which the PUK and KDP can potentially get the backing from is the Kurdistan Islamic Union – which currently has ten MPs.

The PUK and KDP can also gain the support of the Kurdistan Islamic Group or minority parties in order to obtain the parliament quorum for the session to take place on changing the legislative leadership. Crises inside Iraqi Kurdistan deepened after the five major political parties failed to reach an agreement on the Kurdistan presidency issue in October 2015, following the expiration of Massoud Barzani’s term as president. Barzani refused to step down and remains unofficially in office.According to the law, Barzani cannot run for presidency anymore but the KDP insists that Massoud Barzani should remain president of the region. Gorran says Barzani cannot run for presidency again.

Kurdistan Parliament has been closed since 2015 by Massoud Barzani, after Kurdistan parliament speaker from Gorran, Yusuf Mohammed Sadiq, was prevented by Barzani’s Kurdistan Democratic Party KDP forces from entering Erbil. Kurdistan PM Nechirvan Barzani has removed four members of his cabinet from the Change Movement and replaced them with KDP politicians – www.mesop.de