PUK President Attends MERI Forum to Discuss Kurdistan's Political Future

P.U.K 12:47 PM - 2024-10-30

PUK President at MERI Forum.

Bafel Jalal Talabani, President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), stated that the elections were conducted smoothly. While there were some issues in various areas, the campaign was effective, and our tactics proved successful. 

During a panel on the sidelines of the MERI Forum in Erbil, President Bafel Jalal Talabani remarked: "What stands out to me is the lack of a clear strategy in the election campaigns of the parties. While their programmes varied, ours focused on encouraging citizens to head to the ballot boxes and fostering an atmosphere that would restore their confidence in the electoral process, and we succeeded in achieving this goal as well."

 

PUK President: We Successfully Increased our Votes

PUK President stated: "This time, we stepped outside the ordinary and were the only party to significantly increase our vote share, reaching 95%. We aim to ensure there is no distinction between the regions of the Kurdistan Region, and we received strong support across all areas. Today, we find ourselves in a position of strength and we will never compromise on the rights of citizens."

President Bafel Jalal Talabani further stated: "The new leadership of the PUK has implemented numerous changes, successfully restoring the balance of power in the Kurdistan Region and ending the policy of authoritarianism. We believe that parties should work closer together, as we need one another. It is essential to respect and recognise each other. A new opposition has emerged in the Kurdistan Region, and we must consider all recent developments. Now is the ideal time for radical changes in the Kurdistan Region, and following the elections, the negotiation process between political parties has begun."

 

PUK President: We Need a Strong Opposition

The President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan stated: "Every country needs a strong opposition, and I want to emphasise to the smaller parties that they bear a significant responsibility to monitor the government. We must cultivate an environment that encourages all parties to engage in the political process, with the understanding that change must come from within the system, not from the outside. Any party seeking to reform the situation must participate in the political process and the governance system."

President Bafel Jalal Talabani explained: "The PUK welcomes competition and a democratic political atmosphere. While some parties may be hesitant to compete, we aim to establish a robust opposition in the Kurdistan Region. We in the PUK are carefully assessing the situation and are determined to shift the mentality of single-party dominance. We are prepared to engage in dialogue with all political parties to form a new government. Our goal is to build trust among citizens and achieve further success in the future. Our journey has just begun, and we will continue to move forward."

He added: "We recognise that we have challenges; we were not united and lacked a cohesive discourse. It is crucial for us to come together, and we hope all political parties in the Kurdistan Region will reach a consensus on key issues. I assure everyone that I mean every word I say, with nothing hidden, and we are not afraid of our policy. We do not wish to prolong the government formation process, and we will never abandon the promises we made to our citizens. Additionally, we must strengthen the legal institutions in the Kurdistan Region, ensuring there is no interference in state affairs or judicial institutions. One of the most positive outcomes of these elections is that we managed to break the wall of fear among citizens. We must restore their confidence in government institutions, reinforce these institutions, and facilitate a smooth transfer of power."

 

PUK President: We Have a Comprehensive Plan to Serve Kurdistan Region

The PUK President also stated: "In the previous government, we were not real partners; decisions were dominated by a single party. No one in this government has any knowledge of oil production and sales in the Kurdistan Region, not even the Minister of Finance, who is uninformed about oil revenues and other governmental affairs. We need to collaborate effectively to serve the Kurdistan Region."

President Bafel further said: "We have a comprehensive project aimed at serving the Kurdistan Region, focusing on addressing the needs of citizens who have been deprived for many years. We must implement significant changes, particularly in the economic sector, which is the core programme of the PUK. We are carefully analysing the situation in the Kurdistan Region and developing our programmes accordingly."

He added: "During the election campaign, we saw no real strategies from the parties—only the distribution of money, gifts, residential plots, and projects. I have never witnessed a time when the government was used for electoral purposes as it was in these elections. The extent to which the government was utilised for electoral gains in the Kurdistan Region is unprecedented anywhere in the world."

 

PUK President: We Want to Unify the Peshmerga Forces

President Bafel stated: "We aim to unify the Peshmerga forces, although some parties are attempting to exploit this process for their own interests. Our goal is to create unified national forces."

He continued: "We have a comprehensive programme; the more unified Kurdistan is, the better we will be able to advocate for the rights of our citizens in Baghdad and even on the international stage. If we encounter issues in the Kurdistan Region, why do we turn to the Federal Court? Do not we have our own courts? Our judicial system is ineffective; judges are often at home and receive instructions that they are compelled to follow. We must restore trust in our judicial institutions."

President Bafel Jalal Talabani concluded by asserting: "The message of the PUK is clear, and we are prepared to reach an agreement with any party that shares our goal of prioritising the citizens' needs over personal interests. What matters most to us is our willingness to collaborate with all parties, but we will not wait for those unwilling to engage in this process. God willing, we will establish institutions and a parliament that we can be proud of—one that is respected and not merely a closed door. We seek ministers with real authority and powers, rather than allowing security services to dominate government affairs."

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