ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Delegations from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) on Thursday continued government formation talks in Erbil for the third consecutive day, discussing the division of leadership roles in the next cabinet. The meetings focused on dividing leadership roles and how each party will participate in the new government, an informed source told Rudaw. The discussions follow a decree in late December by President Nechirvan Barzani, which called for the first parliamentary session to convene within the following week, officially launching the government formation process. However, smaller parties have shown reluctance to join the ruling coalition in the next cabinet. The delegations are headed by party members who have held prominent roles in the government such as the KDP’s Pshtiwan Sadiq, the current KRG's minister of endowment and religious affairs and the PUK’s former Kurdistan Region parliament speaker Rewaz Fayaq. Darbaz Kosrat Rasul, head of the PUK’s relations bureau, in a meeting with US Consul General Steve Bitner said that his party is eager to form a coalition government that reflects the wishes of the people, PUK Media reported. The Kurdistan Region held its long-overdue elections in October, resulting in a consolidation of power for the ruling KDP which won 39 seats, followed by the PUK with 23. The opposition New Generation Movement (NGM) took third place with 15 seats. No single party won a majority in the parliament so a governing coalition will have to be formed, as has historically been the case. The KDP and PUK, while rivals, also share power in government.
