SULAIMANI (ESTA) — The Kurdistan Parliament session has been postponed on Monday until an unknown time aimed to activate the electoral commission ahead of forthcoming elections.
Fighting broke out between the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) bloc lawmakers and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) amid the session.
Parliamentary Speaker Rewaz Fayaq postponed the session following the tensions inside the chamber.
Subsequently, the PUK bloc released a statement and stated that “governance endures by cooperation and understanding not by deception or fleeing from reality.”
The statement highlighted that the PUK is concerned about the quota seats dedicated to the minorities living in the Kurdistan Region which amounted to 11 seats.
It also accused the KDP of “manipulating” the seats for its political ambitions.
The PUK has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction, saying the minorities do not have real representation inside the parliament but rather are “controlled” by the KDP.
Amid continued PUK-KDP disagreements, the Kurdistan Region parliamentary election is scheduled for Nov. 18, with international pressure demanding both sides expedite efforts to hold elections.
“The PUK and KDP should terminate their differences through dialogue,” Saadi Ahmed Pira, a member of the PUK politburo on Saturday said
Pira also underscored that it’s “unacceptable” to deceive the PUK “through doors and windows of the quota seats.”
“We have already declared that no football matches should start where in advance one team scored 11 goals,” He added.
