ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - At a rally in Sulaimani on Saturday to launch the party’s electoral campaign and introduce candidates, Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Bafel Talabani called for a “stronger Kurdistan in Baghdad.”
“We will strive for a better Kurdistan, for a stronger Kurdistan in Baghdad,” Talabani said. “We are the PUK. We are fulfilling our promises.”
He said the PUK is committed to reform and governance beyond its traditional base.
“We have anti-corruption projects not just for here, but also for Iraq. We have basic service projects, not just here, but also for Iraq,” he said. “Who dares to do what the PUK does? Who dares to win? We dare and we win.”
“What we are starting today will change the entire future of Iraq. We have one goal, serving the people of Iraq, serving the people of Kurdistan,” he told supporters, adding “Iraq belongs to all.”
He underscored the party’s broad alliances, noting that the PUK “works for Kurdistan” while maintaining ties with both Washington and Tehran.
The PUK, a key ally of the Shiite-led Coordination Framework that supports Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, positions itself as a counterbalance to its main rival, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).
The PUK and KDP are still in talks to form the next Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) cabinet, a year after the regional parliamentary elections. Talabani addressed the year-long deadlock and said his party would not join the government without clear guarantees of reform and power-sharing.
“The KRG will never be formed in Kurdistan unless I am assured that they will not repeat past mistakes… I will not do it,” Talabani said.
Campaigning for Iraq’s parliamentary election will run until November 8. Special voting for security forces and others will take place on November 9, followed by the general vote on November 11.
