The Iraqi Federal Supreme Court, which settles constitutional disputes, ruled in May 2023 that the extension of the Kurdistan parliament's term was unconstitutional, declaring Barzani's government to be a caretaker administration.
As the political deadlock in the Kurdistan Region continues, a senior official from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) predicts that the region could formally return to a system of "two separate administrations."
The official, who requested anonymity, said:
"In practice, the region already operates under a dual-administration system, but the concern is that this could become official if the Kurdish parties continue failing to agree on forming a government."
A Return to the "Two Administrations" Era?
Between the mid-1990s and 2006, the Kurdistan Region was effectively divided into two separate administrations following internal fighting between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).
The KDP administered Erbil and Duhok, while the PUK governed Sulaymaniyah. Each side maintained its own government, security forces, and financial institutions.
This division officially ended in 2006 with the formation of a unified Kurdistan Regional Government after years of political reconciliation following the 1998 Washington Agreement, although both parties continued to dominate their traditional areas of influence.
"They Want Everything"
The PUK official blamed the KDP for delaying government formation.
He told Asharq Al-Awsat:
"They want everything—all the government positions in the region—and are unwilling to make any concessions to the other parties."
The KDP and PUK have frequently exchanged accusations, each blaming the other for the ongoing political paralysis.
Previously, a senior KDP official told Asharq Al-Awsat that if the impasse continued, the parties might have no choice but to hold new elections.
Meanwhile, the opposing alliance—comprising the PUK and the New Generation Movement—demands the position of regional prime minister and an equal division of government posts, according to politicians and activists.
The PUK official acknowledged that returning to two administrations would affect both the present and future of the region but stressed that:
"The PUK is prepared to make concessions in order to preserve the unity of the Kurdistan Region."
He also referred to a recent meeting between PUK leader Bafel Talabani and members of the party's parliamentary bloc, during which Talabani emphasized that:
"We are not an obstacle to forming the new cabinet; on the contrary, we are calling for its swift formation."
Growing Concerns
Despite these assurances, statements from other senior PUK figures have been less reassuring.
Yusuf Koran, a member of the party's Political Bureau and head of its Research Center, argued that:
"The sustainability of the Kurdistan Region in its current form is increasingly being questioned, both because of internal issues related to governance and the political system, and because of regional and international developments."
Writing on the party's official website, Koran said:
"Since the unification of the two administrations in 2006, the Kurdistan Region has never witnessed this level of political division and polarization."
Although he stopped short of explicitly advocating separate administrations, he stressed the need for change and noted that Iraqi Kurdistan no longer enjoys the level of international support it received after 1991, when it effectively separated itself from the central government in Baghdad.
"Political Suicide"
For his part, Kifah Mahmoud, media adviser to KDP leader Masoud Barzani, described talk of restoring two separate administrations as:
"Political suicide that would become one of the gravest threats to the Kurdistan Region's supreme interests."
He argued that such proposals are part of campaigns against the Kurdistan Region and align with political efforts aimed at dismantling the federal experiment.
Mahmoud insisted that:
"The parliament is the proper place to discuss all existing disputes."
He also maintained that:
"The idea of separating the two administrations simply does not exist—not only within the Kurdistan Region, but also among Iraqis who are committed to preserving Iraq's democratic federal system and constitution."
Nevertheless, Mahmoud did not rule out the possibility of early elections to overcome the political deadlock.
He said this remains one of the solutions proposed by the KDP, while criticizing the PUK for insisting on its alliance with the New Generation Movement to counterbalance the KDP's parliamentary strength, arguing that such an alliance should have been formed before the elections.
Source: Asharq Al-Awsat
