Masrour Barzani, incumbent prime minister and the second deputy leader of the KDP, and PUK head Bafel Talabani are expected to lead the meeting, set to take place in Sulaimani’s Dukan district.
Pola Talabani, a PUK leadership member, told Rudaw’s Hiwa Jamal on Monday that “extensive discussions have been held regarding the principles of governance, which was necessary because to the PUK, this is more important than the distribution of positions.”
“We are standing firm on points that were previously disputed," the PUK official stressed.
He added that the distribution of positions in the new cabinet will be discussed during the Dukan meeting. “There is good mutual understanding, and an agreement will be drafted and later signed."
Aziz Ahmad, deputy chief of staff to Prime Minister Barzani, praised the meetings and said they have helped build trust between the parties.
Prime Minister @masrourbarzani will meet PUK leader @Bafeltalabani at the Dukan resort later today.
— Aziz Ahmad (@azizkahmad) April 28, 2025
This will be their third meeting. These bilateral meetings have helped build trust and break negotiation deadlocks.
We want to see a new KRG cabinet formed as quickly as…
Rewaz Fayaq, a PUK politburo member and former Kurdistan parliament speaker, told Rudaw on Sunday that the meeting will be held at noon.
The Kurdistan Region held delayed parliamentary elections in October. The KDP emerged as the leading party with 39 seats in the 100-member legislature, followed by the PUK with 23 seats. As no single party won a majority, a governing coalition will need to be formed, as has traditionally been the case.
The delay in government formation has also had a significant impact on the Kurdistan Region’s legislative authority.
Since the October elections, the Region’s parliament has convened only once in early December, during which no speaker, deputy speaker, or secretary were elected. No further sessions have been scheduled, as lawmakers are seemingly awaiting the outcome of the government formation talks between the KDP and PUK.
“As KDP, we are making good efforts to reach an agreement and form the tenth government cabinet, and we are optimistic about reaching an agreement in the near future,” Hiwa Gaylani, a senior KDP official, told Rudaw on Thursday.
Regarding the distribution of positions, Gaylani said that the KDP has not demanded any specific positions.
"It is often said that the KDP demands sovereign positions, but it's not us; rather, it's the tradition of elections and the law that whoever wins first place should hold the positions of prime minister and president of the Kurdistan Region," he explained.
