Kurdish leaders quit Iraq regional government

Leaders in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq have entered a new phase of political conflict. Bafel Talabani, head of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, announced on Thursday that his party is leaving the regional cabinet. The move removes the second-largest political force from the government in Erbil. Talabani called the administration a failure and stated his party would focus on serving communities in Sulaimani and Halabja. This withdrawal follows a contentious vote to restart the regional legislature without full participation from the PUK.

The dispute centers on a parliamentary session held in Erbil on Wednesday. Fifty-two lawmakers attended the meeting, which met the required quorum of 51. The group selected Vala Farid, a politician from the Kurdistan Democratic Party, as the new speaker. Rami Noori and Muna Qahwachi were appointed as deputy speaker and secretary, respectively. The KDP, which leads the regional government, holds 39 of the 100 seats in the chamber. The PUK holds 23 seats and argued that the session was illegitimate because it proceeded without their full endorsement.

Analysts point to Iran as a key external factor in this conflict. Tehran has used drones and missiles against the region and has pressured Baghdad to remove Kurdish opposition groups based in Iraqi territory. With the United States withdrawing its forces from Iraq on September 30, observers suggest Iran sees an opportunity to deepen its influence. The PUK, based in Sulaimaniyah, has historically maintained closer ties to Tehran than its rival in Erbil. In 2017, PUK forces pulled back from Kirkuk during federal offensives, a move many interpreted as a signal of alignment with Baghdad and Iran.

The strain on the current leadership is evident in recent diplomatic activity. US Envoy Tom Barrack visited Baghdad on November 5 to meet Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi. Barrack described the Middle East as a complex puzzle where local nations must solve their own problems. He praised Iraq for choosing sovereignty and partnership over dependency. The KRG President Nechirvan Barzani, who has relied on a pragmatic approach to manage disputes, now faces criticism that his patience may be allowing domestic issues to grow worse without structural reform.

The immediate result of the PUK withdrawal is a fragmented government. The KDP retains control of the cabinet, but it now governs without the cooperation of the party that holds a quarter of the parliamentary seats. The PUK leadership met earlier on Thursday before making the announcement public. They declared they would use all available resources to support the public in areas where they hold power. The regional parliament remains active, with the newly elected speaker presiding over the chamber. The political standoff between the two main Kurdish parties continues in the north of Iraq.