SULAIMANI (ESTA) — The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) President Bafel Talabani said on Wednesday that the PUK is quite dissatisfied with the current status quo of the Kurdistan Region at the annual Erbil forum.
The “Erbil Forum 2023” kicked off in Erbil on Wednesday, with the participation of a number of local and international figures “We have disagreements with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) on several small stuff,” Talabani said at the forum.
“Our door has been always open for discussion. The PUK is quite dissatisfied with the current status quo. The parties will not be harmed but the people will,” Talabani told the conference’s attendants.
“It’s the people of our zone that are not receiving a salary, it’s our hospitals that is not receiving medicine, it’s our forces which is budget has been cut, every project in our area has been stopped. We should distract ourselves with other matters. These small issues could be resolved in five minutes.”
Talabani further said we should distract ourselves with “strategic” matters. “We are not ready to participate in the government’s meeting unless we have an understanding. We are in debt to this nation, we should not allow the small stuff to disrupt the situation from us.”
“We are ready to make any steps for settlement,” he noted.
Regarding elections in Kurdistan Region, the PUK President warned that if the “obstacles continue the election may never be held.” Talabani further said the PUK program is to let minorities represent themselves.
“Let’s listen to themselves [minorities] for this decision,” he added, referring to the issue of quota seats in the Kurdistan Region parliament.
“We want to make an agreement with everyone, we are ready as a party like always to compromise on our rights for the sake of people.”
