ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani said on Wednesday that the new Kurdish cabinet will be formed before elections at the end of this month, adding that all political groups are keen on being a part of the incoming government.



“Like every other citizen I have my complaints too,” said Barzani in a speech to members of his Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), a day after campaigning kicked off for the polls, which are due on April 30.



Barzani said the final steps to forming a new government have been taken and that all political groups are keen on being part of the new cabinet.



“It doesn’t matter if forming the government is delayed a few months; what is important is that we all join this government together,” he said.



Barzani’s KDP was the winner of last September’s parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan Region. It has been negotiating with other groups for the past six months to form a broad-based government.



“The government will be announced before the elections,” said Barzani.



Referring to recent disputes with the federal government, Barzani said the Kurds will do their best to solve the disputes with Baghdad, but on condition that the Iraqi side respects the partnership.



Barzani chastized Baghdad for blocking Kurdistan’s share of the budget in February, saying: “If someone thinks he can bring us to our knees by using the budget card, then he is dumb and has no idea who the Kurds are and what they are about.”



Barzani said that disagreements with the central government could be easily solved if they were only about oil and gas or a particular constitutional clause. But, he said, the real issue is that the Iraqi side does not believe in partnership.



“If our counterparts persist in their policies, then we too will pursue our own policy,” he warned. “They should find out what it is.”


Rudaw