The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), a major political force within the Kurdish regional government in northern Iraq, has declared its withdrawal from the administration. PUK President Bafel Talabani announced the decision in a video message to supporters late on Thursday, characterizing the current government as a “failed” institution and stating that his party would no longer recognize the recent parliament session or any subsequent decisions made by that body.
This political fracture follows the regional parliament’s first session in nearly two years, which was convened to elect new leadership. While the PUK and the New Generation Movement had officially boycotted the sitting, the session moved forward after a small number of individual lawmakers from these parties attended, providing the necessary presence for the proceedings to continue.
In his address, Talabani launched a sharp critique against the rival Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). “A minority within the KDP proved today that they do not know what democracy is, that they hold zero respect for you, the voters, and they proved today that they do not know how governance should be conducted in this country,” he stated. Talabani further alleged that members of the rival party had utilized public funds to influence lawmakers, claiming that public money was being used “to buy members of parliament, and use your money to threaten MPs.”
The PUK leadership has warned of retaliatory measures should the KDP proceed with unilateral appointments. Talabani vowed that his party would respond with parallel actions, asserting, “You appoint a President of the Region, we will appoint a President of the Region. You appoint ministers, we will appoint ministers. You appoint a Prime Minister, we will appoint a Prime Minister. Whatever you do over there, we will do right here.”
