Politics

Kurdistan Region Faces Risk of Dual Governments as KDP and PUK Clash

By Sherko Abdulla

A political stalemate between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) threatens to split Iraq’s semi‑autonomous northern region into two rival administrations. The dispute began after a parliamentary session in Erbil last week was held without the PUK’s participation. PUK leader Bafel Talabani withdrew his party from the government, and analysts warn that a rival administration could form in the party’s Sulaimaniyah base.

Independent Kurdish politician Yasin Aziz said the latest developments deepen the historic divisions between the KDP and PUK. "I believe the spectre of two administrations in Kurdistan is now very close, and the outlines of such a scenario are becoming clear… The events have been painful and rapid. The differences between the two parties were significant and have now led to a breakdown in relations," Aziz told Al Jazeera.

The KDP, led by Massoud Barzani, is the largest party in the region, with strongholds in Erbil and Dohuk. Since the Gulf War and the US‑led “no‑fly zone” in northern Iraq, the Kurds have largely governed themselves, separate from Baghdad. The 2003 Iraqi Constitution recognized the Kurdish region as a federal entity with its own legislative, executive and judicial powers.

In the sixth parliamentary elections on 20 October 2024, the KDP won 39 seats and the PUK 23, leaving a 16‑seat gap. The KDP still needed an agreement with the PUK and other parties, such as the New Generation Movement (15 seats), to form a new government. The PUK has refused to collaborate, so after a two‑year wait the KDP reactivated the parliament without its rivals.

Aziz said the crisis is more serious and deeply rooted than previous disputes. "Both sides must make concessions to each other. The party willing to make greater concessions will demonstrate greater concern for the Kurdistan region," he added.

KDP member Subhi Mandalawi blamed the impasse on the PUK’s refusal to form a new government with the KDP. He noted that after the 2018 parliamentary session without the PUK, the party later joined the government. Mandalawi warned that prolonged divisions would harm the region domestically, regionally and internationally.

Senior PUK official Mahmood Khoshnaw said the KDP’s decision to convene parliament without the PUK worsened tensions. "If a prime minister is appointed in Erbil, we will take the same step in Sulaimaniyah. Whatever the KDP does, we will do the same in Sulaimaniyah," Khoshnaw warned.

Independent analyst Ramadan Albadran said the dispute is a deep political crisis rather than a constitutional issue. The Iraqi constitution provides no mechanism for dividing the region into zones of influence between the KDP and PUK. "If the PUK moves to separate Sulaimaniyah from the Kurdistan region, that would not be a legal or constitutional act," Albadran said. "It would be closer to an act of rebellion since there is no legal provision permitting withdrawal from or the dismantling of a region in this manner."