The fragile power-sharing government in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region has collapsed after the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) announced its withdrawal from the cabinet, escalating a long-simmering political crisis between the region’s two dominant parties.
Breakdown of Coalition Government
In a televised address on November 5, PUK leader Bafel Talabani declared his party would no longer recognize the regional parliament or its decisions, calling the current government a failure. The dramatic move came just one day after the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) convened the first parliamentary session in nearly two years, electing a KDP member as speaker despite the PUK’s boycott.
“This government has failed,” Talabani said, threatening to establish parallel governing institutions in Sulaymaniyah, the PUK’s stronghold. “If they appoint a Region president, we will appoint a Region president. Whatever they do there, we will do here.”
Roots of the Conflict
The crisis stems from an unresolved power struggle following October 2024 elections, where the KDP won 39 of 100 parliamentary seats compared to the PUK’s 23. More than two years later, the parties have failed to form a new cabinet, leaving Masrour Barzani’s KDP-led government in place as a caretaker administration.
At the heart of the dispute is control of the powerful Interior Ministry, currently held by a KDP ally. The PUK has demanded the ministry and half of cabinet positions, demands the KDP has rejected. The rivalry extends to Iraq’s federal government, where the KDP has refused to recognize the PUK-backed Iraqi president elected last April.
Risk of Regional Division
The standoff risks reviving the bitter 1990s-era division when the KDP and PUK ran separate administrations from Erbil and Sulaymaniyah after a bloody civil war. The parties only formally reunited their governments in 2006 following U.S.-brokered reconciliation.
Analysts warn the current split could benefit Iran, which has historically had closer ties to the PUK. The region has faced nearly 1,000 Iranian drone and missile attacks this year alone, including an August strike targeting the KDP prime minister’s office that U.S. officials called a threat to regional stability.
International Response
The U.S. State Department has urged dialogue but avoided taking sides, calling only for “strong and resilient” Kurdish institutions. Some former U.S. officials suggest Washington’s reduced engagement in the region has contributed to the political breakdown.
With no clear path to reconciliation, the crisis leaves Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region facing its most severe political test in nearly two decades, just six weeks after the withdrawal of U.S.-led coalition forces from Iraq.
Source: www.thegatewaypundit.com โ https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/11/kurdish-power-sharing-collapses-as-puk-quits-regional/