KDP, PUK to hold joint election talks with other political players soon: source

Shafaq News/ The two main political parties in the Kurdistan Region, the Democratic Party of Kurdistan (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), are set to hold a meeting with other Kurdish parties to settle the issue of elections.

According to a well-informed source who spoke to Shafaaq News Agency, "The election offices of the PUK and KDP will hold an extended meeting with the Movement for Change, the Kurdistan Islamic Union, and the Islamic Group."

The source added that "The meeting will focus on amending the election law and reactivating the [election] commission."

Ali Hussein, an official from the KDP in Sulaimaniya-Halabja, stated on Friday that the President of the Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, will set a date for the parliamentary elections in the region after meetings with other political actors.

The Kurdish parties have been trying to reach a consensus on the election law and the formation of an independent election commission to oversee the process.

The Kurdistan region has been in a state of political turmoil since the September 2017 independence referendum, which was opposed by the Iraqi central government and other regional countries. The referendum was initiated by the KDP and PUK and supported by other Kurdish parties. The Kurdistan region has since faced political, economic, and security challenges, and the upcoming elections are seen as a critical step in stabilizing the region.