Peregraf — Bafel Talabani, president of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), announced that the PUK has reached an agreement with the New Generation Movement and said the deal will be formally signed in the coming days.
Speaking during a visit to the New Generation parliamentary bloc in the Iraqi Parliament in Baghdad, Talabani said the visit was intended to express gratitude and confirm political cooperation between the two sides.
"We have reached an agreement with the New Generation Movement, and we will sign it in the coming days," he said.
When asked whether the partnership would be limited to the Kurdistan Region or would also extend to Baghdad, Talabani replied: "We will work together everywhere."
Political Background
The political alignment follows a series of meetings between PUK and New Generation leaders after Shaswar Abdulwahid, president of the New Generation Movement, was released on bail in mid-January after spending approximately six months in detention over multiple legal cases.
Following his release, New Generation entered what party officials described as a new political phase and opened negotiations with the PUK to form an alliance and coordinate positions on government formation.
New Generation currently holds 15 seats in the Kurdistan Parliament and nine seats in the Iraqi Parliament.
Toward a New Coalition
On February 17, Bafel Talabani visited Shaswar Abdulwahid for the second time, where both sides discussed a formal written agreement to form a coalition and help shape the next Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) cabinet.
After that meeting, Abdulwahid said the agreement focused mainly on the method of governance and described Talabani as "very serious" about the deal.
He stressed the need for political balance in negotiations with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), particularly regarding the distribution of senior government posts.
Abdulwahid said there were two main options for power-sharing: either the prime minister position along with a set of ministries, or the presidency of the Kurdistan Region along with another group of ministries.
"Whichever one the KDP wants, let them choose," he said.
He added that the agreement aims to restore political balance, strengthen Kurdistan Region institutions, and serve the public interest.
According to Abdulwahid, the PUK–New Generation alliance would negotiate with the KDP as a bloc representing between 38 and 40 parliamentary seats.
He also said New Generation supports the KDP's call to organize the "Kurdish House," provided that institutional reform and stronger governance remain central to the process.