SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region –

The Kurdistan Region’s Opposition Change Movement (Gorran) has reiterated it wants the vice presidency in the next Kurdish government, turning down an offer of accepting one of two vice-premier posts, officials said.

They said that In the latest round of talks to form the delayed Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Gorran was offered the vice premier’s post by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which as the largest winner of the September polls is tasked with putting together the next cabinet.

A KDP negotiating team led by Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani visited Gorran leader Nawshirwan Mustafa at his Sulaimani office on Wednesday to continue discussions on forming the government that have been dragging for months.

At the meeting, Mustafa turned down the post of deputy premier for Gorran, according to officials.

The Kurdish prime minister will have two deputies, the second one expected to be filled by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).

According to the parliamentary charter, the first deputy would have the authority and direct involvement in formatting the new cabinet.

Meanwhile, KDP officials say that they have promised that Gorran will be treated as full and equal partner in government.

In carrying out its constitutional task of shaping the next cabinet, the KDP has to walk a tightrope between its long-term ally – the PUK, which did not fare well in the elections -- and the Gorran movement that won the second largest number of votes.

All Kurdish parties have agreed on forming a broad-based government, which makes the process challenging, compared to past cabinets that were mainly formed by the KDP and PUK only.

In Wednesday’s meeting, the KDP delegation had also suggested that Mustafa step in as mediator in hopes of speeding up the government formation.

It was reported that Gorran has also demanded the interior and finance ministries.

Gorran is expected to convene a meeting today to discuss the offers and make a final decision.


Rudaw