PUK Official Warns Political Crisis Threatens Kurdistan Region's Stability

PUKMEDIA

Saadi Ahmed Pire, PUK Political Bureau.

Saadi Ahmed Pire, a member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan's (PUK) Political Bureau, has expressed deep concern over the recent deterioration of the political situation in the Kurdistan Region, warning that developments are moving in "a bad direction" despite earlier optimism generated by the mediation initiative of Kurdistan Islamic Union Secretary-General Salahaddin Muhammad Bahaaddin.

Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Pire criticised what he described as the "political arrogance" of certain parties, accusing them of unnecessarily complicating the political landscape by focusing on trivial issues rather than addressing the Region's pressing challenges.

He also voiced concern over the tone of recent media discourse, warning that internal political divisions now pose a greater threat to the Kurdistan Region than external challenges.

Pire said recent meetings of the PUK Political Bureau and Leadership Council focused on clarifying key points of disagreement to avoid misunderstandings and facilitate progress.

He reiterated the PUK's readiness to pursue both legal and political solutions to the current parliamentary crisis and reaffirmed the party's commitment to forming the next Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on the principles of genuine partnership, consensus and balance.

Criticising the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), Pire argued that the party interprets the concepts of partnership and consensus solely through the lens of its own political interests.

He urged the KDP to apply within the Kurdistan Region the same principles it advocates in its dealings with the federal government in Baghdad, noting that recent political agreements demonstrate that no single party holds an absolute majority.

"It is illogical that our discussions with the KDP have centred on demands such as, 'Don't say we have 39 seats.' These are weak arguments that lack political realism," he said.

Pire also referred to the recent visit of Tom Barrack, US Presidential Envoy to Iraq and Syria, saying the envoy delivered a clear message of concern to Kurdish political leaders over continuing internal divisions.

According to Pire, Barrack stressed that ongoing disputes among Kurdish parties risk further destabilising the political situation and creating opportunities for external actors to exploit the crisis.

Concluding his remarks, Pire said resolving the current impasse requires genuine political will and a shared sense of responsibility towards the people of the Kurdistan Region.

He warned that prolonging the political crisis and pursuing what he described as an "accept my conditions or everything stops" approach to negotiations could seriously undermine the constitutional institutions and political stability of the Kurdistan Region.



PUKMEDIA