Bafal Talabani, President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), has officially announced his party’s withdrawal from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and refused to recognize what he described as ‘the step taken in the Kurdistan Parliament days ago,’ emphasizing that the party will respond in kind to any future actions by the opposing side.
In a video message following a leadership council meeting that granted him full authority, Talabani stated: ‘We worked with all our effort to form an effective and strong government in the Kurdistan Region. I personally visited Arbil more than 15 times and met with many brothers there, but unfortunately, we were unable to reach any result, as they hindered our progress toward an agreement every time under various pretexts.’
Criticizing the recent parliamentary session, Talabani added: ‘What happened in the Kurdistan Parliament was a meeting of a minority from the Democratic Party, proving that they do not respect democracy or the will of voters. They also proved that they can use the people’s money effectively to buy off and threaten parliamentarians. We could have done that too, but we are not like them and will not make such mistakes.’
Announcing the party’s decisive decision, Talabani said: ‘Today, after the leadership council meeting, I was granted all necessary powers, and we hereby announce that we will not recognize this step taken in the Kurdistan Parliament nor anything resulting from it. This government has been a caretaker government for over two years, yet it has failed to accomplish anything for the citizens. This government is a failure, and our first decision is to withdraw from this failed government as of this moment, while working to meet the needs and demands of our citizens.’
The PUK President concluded his message stating: ‘We have pledged to Almighty God and all our citizens to work toward fulfilling all their needs. We will not recognize any government or position resulting from this step taken days ago in Arbil. We say to the other side: any step you take will be met with an equal response. If you appoint a President for the Region, we will also appoint a President for the Region; if you appoint a Prime Minister, we will also appoint a Prime Minister; and even if you appoint any minister, we will appoint a minister as well. Any step from your side will be matched with a similar response.’
Note: This text is translated from the original Arabic version. Read the Arabic version:Click here
