SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Co-President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Bafel Talabani said all parties should work to form a new government that reflects today’s needs of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
Talabani met with U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Matthew Tueller in Erbil on Monday. They discussed the latest developments and Iraq’s October 10 parliamentary elections, his office said in a statement.
“Despite comments and notes on the election and its results, we can work in a strong will to form a government that reflects complaints and today’s needs of Iraq and the Region,” Talabani was cited as saying.
“All parties should be supportive so that the executive power will carry out its duties such as service, real reform and fighting corruption, and we should prevent the political conflicts from affecting the next government and moving the street for party’s interests,” he added.
Regarding Kurds, Talabani said the ground was appropriate for Kurds to reorganize themselves and begin talks with the Iraqi sides as a united front, according to the statement.
“The ground is suitable to reorganize ourselves as Kurds and unitedly begin negotiations with the Iraqi parties to form a government on the basis of common life, partnership and agreement,” he said.
Iraq’s electoral commission said on Oct. 16 that voter turnout in the elections had reached 43 percent.
Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said his movement secured the biggest number of seats in the 329-seat parliament, adding that he would not challenge the results.
Kurds have secured 63 seats of the Iraqi Council of Representatives during the general election, according to the preliminary results announced by the electoral commission.
