Peregraf — Shaswar Abdulwahid, president of the New Generation Movement (NGM), said Wednesday, June 24, that the next prime minister of the Kurdistan Region should come from a political alliance between the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the New Generation Movement, escalating pressure on the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) amid the region's prolonged government-formation deadlock.
Speaking at a press conference, Abdulwahid argued that the KDP, despite remaining the largest party in parliament, cannot continue to hold the dominant share of key positions in the Kurdistan Region's political system.
"We have decided and proposed to the PUK that the next Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region should come from our alliance, and they will respond to us officially," Abdulwahid said.
He added: "The KDP must understand that with 39 seats, it cannot hold onto every single position in the Region."
Abdulwahid also criticized the current political impasse, warning that the region's governing institutions cannot remain indefinitely in their current state.
"The current governance of the Region must either be formed properly, or it will cease to exist," he said.
PUK and New Generation Move Closer
The remarks came after the PUK reaffirmed its demand for equal power-sharing with the KDP in the next Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
Following a leadership meeting chaired by PUK President Bafel Talabani in Sulaymaniyah on June 21, party spokesperson Karwan Gaznay said the PUK remains committed to a 50-50 power-sharing arrangement and would not compromise on what it described as a "true partnership" in government.
"We insist on a 50-50 power-sharing formula and a true partnership in forming the government," Gaznay said.
The PUK also announced plans to sign a formal political agreement with the New Generation Movement at the beginning of next month.
The two parties have intensified coordination since Abdulwahid's release on bail in January 2026 after spending over five months in detention.
Parliamentary Arithmetic
The PUK currently holds 23 seats in the 100-member Kurdistan Parliament, while the New Generation Movement controls 15 seats.
Together, the two parties command 38 seats — one seat fewer than the KDP's 39.
In the October 2024 parliamentary elections, the KDP emerged as the largest party with 39 seats, followed by the PUK with 23, the New Generation Movement with 15, and the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) with seven.
Abdulwahid's comments signal that the PUK and New Generation may seek to use their combined parliamentary strength to challenge the KDP's traditional claim to the premiership.
Government-Formation Stalemate
The Kurdistan Region has been without a new government since parliamentary elections were held on Oct. 20, 2024.
Although lawmakers convened for the inaugural parliamentary session on Dec. 2, 2024, parliament has not met again since then, leaving the legislature effectively inactive.
More than 20 rounds of negotiations between the KDP and PUK have failed to produce an agreement on cabinet positions, parliamentary leadership, and power-sharing arrangements.
On June 13, following a meeting of the KDP Central Committee chaired by KDP President Masoud Barzani, the party announced that a senior committee from its Political Bureau had begun outreach to Kurdish political parties as part of an initiative Barzani had launched to break the political deadlock.
However, Abdulwahid's latest remarks underscore the significant differences that remain between the region's major political forces.
The continued stalemate has delayed the formation of the Kurdistan Region's 10th cabinet, stalled legislative activity, and intensified criticism from political observers and international partners who have urged Kurdish parties to restore the functioning of the region's institutions.