KIU Initiative Expands as Salahadin Bahadin Meets Masrour Barzani Over Kurdistan Political Deadlock

Peregraf- Salahadin Muhammad Bahadin, Secretary-General of the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU), met Monday with Masrour Barzani, Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), as part of a political initiative aimed at ending the prolonged deadlock in the Kurdistan Region and easing tensions between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).

The meeting came one day after Bahadin visited Dabashan to present the same initiative.

According to a statement from the KIU, Bahadin presented a memorandum to Masrour Barzani focused on resolving the political stalemate, reactivating the Kurdistan Parliament, and reorganizing the Region's internal political situation.

Masrour Barzani Supports Practical Steps

The KIU said Masrour Barzani welcomed the initiative and acknowledged the political crises and challenges facing the Kurdistan Region.

According to the statement, both sides agreed on the necessity of taking "practical steps" to reactivate parliament and restore institutional functionality.

The meeting also discussed the broader political and security situation in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, and the wider region.

Initiative Targets KDP-PUK Tensions

Bahadin's initiative seeks to reduce tensions between the KDP and PUK following nearly 18 months of political paralysis after the Kurdistan parliamentary elections held on October 20, 2024.

The Kurdistan Parliament has remained effectively inactive since its inaugural session on December 2, 2024, after lawmakers failed to elect a parliamentary speaker, deputy speaker, or secretary.

Disputes between the KDP and PUK over power-sharing arrangements, senior positions, and the parliamentary presidium have blocked the formation of the 10th cabinet of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

PUK Previously Halted Media Campaigns

During Bahadin's meeting Sunday with Bafel Talabani, Co-President of the PUK, Talabani announced that PUK media outlets would halt press campaigns and media attacks against the KDP as a first step toward easing tensions.

Both sides described the continuing deadlock as harmful to the Kurdistan Region politically and institutionally.

Pressure Mounting to Resolve Crisis

The initiative comes amid increasing pressure on Kurdish political parties to end the institutional paralysis.

Last week, Masrour Barzani publicly called for the reactivation of parliament and the formation of a new KRG cabinet.

The initiative also follows a memorandum signed by nearly 200 Kurdish academics, civil society figures, writers, and religious leaders warning that continued political paralysis threatens the legitimacy and effectiveness of Kurdistan Region institutions.