ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said failure to form a new Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) more than a year after elections, along with ongoing salary delays, stems from disputes over government posts and the politicization of constitutionally guaranteed financial rights, insisting that election results and federal obligations must be respected.
KRG formation
More than a year has passed since the October 2024 Kurdistan Region parliamentary elections, with no new government formed.
“The desire and will of the Kurdistan Democratic Party [KDP] was to form the government immediately after the elections; however, the other side [Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, PUK], unfortunately, did not move forward at that time,” Barzani, who is a deputy leader of the KDP, told Rudaw in Dubai on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit.
The Region held long-delayed parliamentary elections in October 2024, in which the KDP won 39 of the 100 seats, while the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) secured 23. With no party holding an outright majority, negotiations to form a new cabinet have dragged on for months, stalled over disputes over governance mechanisms and key posts.
Barzani said the KDP invited all parties that won seats to participate in government formation, but some chose to remain in opposition. Talks with the PUK, he said, made progress, including agreement on a shared agenda, but ultimately broke down over disagreements on certain positions.
“However, regrettably, they did not come forward to form this government due to [disagreements over] certain [government] positions,” Barzani said. “I hope we can pass this stage and do something that is in the interest of the people of Kurdistan.”
In mid-January, PUK leader Bafel Talabani accepted a proposal by Shaswar Abdulwahid, leader of the Region’s largest opposition party, the New Generation Movement, to form an alliance aimed at establishing the KRG's tenth cabinet without the KDP.
Barzani said dialogue with the PUK would continue, but stressed that “the people of Kurdistan must be respected, their voices must be respected, and the voters of Kurdistan must be respected. The election results must be taken into account,” stressing that “you cannot hold an election and then fail to respect the results.”
Iraqi government formation
Turning to federal politics, Barzani said responsibility for forming the next Iraqi government lies primarily with the Shiite Coordination Framework, which must designate a candidate for prime minister. He added that Kurdish parties expect the same principle of majority rule to apply to the presidency.
Iraq held its legislative elections in mid-November. Since 2003, an informal power-sharing system has allocated the premiership to Shiite parties, the parliament’s speakership to Sunni Arabs, and the presidency to the Kurds.
The Iraqi parliament was scheduled to convene on Sunday to elect the country’s next president, but postponed the session with no new date announced. The delay comes amid a deadlock between the KDP and the PUK, both of which have nominated candidates for the largely ceremonial post and failed to agree on a single nominee.
The PUK, which has largely held the presidency since 2003, argues that the position remains its entitlement, a claim rejected by the KDP.
“As Kurds, we respect the majority view of the other parties and components, be it among Sunnis or Shiites,” Barzani said. “Similarly, regarding the position of the President of the Republic, we expect the other components to respect the majority vote of the people of Kurdistan.”
The KDP emerged as the top party in Iraq’s elections, securing more than 9.4 percent of the total vote - over 1 million ballots - and winning 27 of the parliament’s 329 seats. The PUK had around half that vote share, taking 18 seats.
Barzani said the KDP, as the largest party in the Kurdistan Region, has the right to nominate the Kurdish candidate for the presidency but remains open to mechanisms that ensure broader Kurdish consensus.
“We have advocated for a mechanism that carries the support of the majority of the people of Kurdistan. A single party cannot monopolize a position for itself,” he said, adding that the KDP would accept the outcome of any process that reflects majority support.
Salary delays
Addressing the ongoing salary crisis, Barzani said the issue is largely tied to decisions made by the federal government in Baghdad, accusing successive Iraqi governments of politicizing constitutionally guaranteed financial entitlements.
“Constitutionally, the people of Kurdistan have the right to receive their financial entitlements without disruption or obstacles,” he said. “Unfortunately, over the past several years, this issue has been politicized, resulting in months during which salaries for the people of Kurdistan were not paid because the issue was politicized.”
For more than a decade, public sector employees in the Kurdistan Region have faced recurring salary delays, partial payments, and deductions amid financial disputes between Erbil and Baghdad. As in previous years, employees received only 10 months’ pay in 2025, with the remaining two months still unpaid. January salaries are also yet to be disbursed.
Iraq’s Minister of Construction and Housing, Bangin Rekani, told Rudaw in early January that the long-standing salary issue facing civil servants in the Kurdistan Region is expected to be resolved this year and said January salaries would be paid on time.
Barzani said Baghdad has at times cited liquidity shortages or economic difficulties but rejected the idea that the Kurdistan Region should bear the consequences alone.
“The deterioration of Iraq’s economy or the mismanagement of its revenues should not be borne by the people of Kurdistan alone,” he said.
Asked whether the crisis stems from mismanagement or broader economic hardship, Barzani said, “It is both. Mismanagement has led to a deteriorating economic situation. With sound governance, the economy would not be in its current state.”
Barzani said the Kurdistan Region has met its obligations to the federal government and urged Baghdad to separate salary payments from wider political disputes.
“We expect the Iraqi government not to conflate the salary issue with other economic matters,” he said.
He added that Baghdad has also failed to meet other constitutional financial commitments. “It is not just salaries; the budget contains many other things that the federal government, unfortunately, has so far failed to fulfill the responsibility that falls on it.”
Kurdistan Region ties
Prime Minister Barzani also hailed the Region’s relations with regional countries, saying that “Our relations are at a very, very good level. For a long time, these relations have been progressing day by day and year by year," adding that they are "pleased with these relations on every level."
“These shared visions between us and these countries have fostered mutual respect and led to more exchanges of opinions. They also have great respect for the people of Kurdistan because, in the recent period, Kurdistan has truly shown that it is a factor for good and can play an effective role in solving problems,” he said.
Sangar Abdulrahman contributed to this report from Dubai.
The following is the full transcript of the interview with Masrour Barzani:
Rudaw: I see that every year Your Excellency participates in the World Government Summit here [in the UAE]. You frequently visit and travel to the UAE, and I feel that you are happy here; your relations here are consistently good. How are the relations between the Kurdistan Region and the UAE currently?
Masrour Barzani: Our relations [with regional countries] are at a very high level. For a long time, these relations have continued to strengthen day by day and year by year. We are pleased with them at every level - both at the leadership level and in the ongoing interaction between both sides. I believe that people on both sides also place great importance on these relations. For our part, we are very satisfied.
These relations with the UAE exist at a time, Mr. Masrour, when your relations with Qatar, Turkey, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia are also very good. The Kurdistan Region maintains these relations while the region is passing through great complexity. What role can the Kurdistan Region play in reducing these tensions?
I believe we share a common vision with all these countries regarding the collection of issues that represent both challenges and opportunities for the region’s progress. This includes economic development in these countries, communication between nations to set aside tensions, or creating opportunities during times of trial and crisis. These shared visions between us and these countries have fostered mutual respect and led to more exchanges of opinions. They also have great respect for the people of Kurdistan because, in the recent period, Kurdistan has truly shown that it is a force for good and can play an effective role in solving problems. In recent years, we have made serious efforts to further develop economic relations between the Kurdistan Region and the Gulf states.
Mr. Masrour, regarding this respect that countries have for the Kurdistan Region - Iraqis often say it is like a state, not just a region - but there are internal problems within the Kurdistan Region. Political disagreements still exist, especially between the KDP [Kurdistan Democratic Party] and the PUK [Patriotic Union of Kurdistan]. How are your relations with the PUK now?
The relationship is normal, and problems are also very normal. There may be issues regarding political matters, especially now as we are busy with the process of government formation. Government formation is also ongoing at the Baghdad level. As two different political parties, we have different views, but ultimately, everyone must take the supreme interest of our people in Kurdistan into consideration. The people must also know that these interests should be the criteria for evaluating the work of the parties, so that public support becomes clear for the sides that most strongly advocate for the interests of the people of Kurdistan.
Currently, there are two major issues in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, Mr. Masrour: the formation of the Kurdistan Regional Government and the formation of the Iraqi government. What is the priority for Your Excellency and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP)?
Both are important, each at its own level. Regarding the Kurdistan Regional Government, more than a year has passed [since the October 2024 election of the regional parliament] and the [Kurdistan Regional] Government has yet to be formed. The desire and will of the Kurdistan Democratic Party was to form the government immediately after the elections; however, the other side, unfortunately, did not move forward at that time. We asked all parties that won seats in the elections to participate actively in the government-formation process. Some parties chose to remain in the opposition. As for the others - particularly the PUK - we held extensive discussions and made good progress, including agreeing on a shared agenda. However, regrettably, they did not come forward to form this government due to [disagreements over] certain [government] positions. I hope we can pass this stage and do something that is in the interest of the people of Kurdistan.
Are there [ongoing] talks with the PUK?
Dialogue will continue, but we have a principle that we stand by - and I must say this frankly: the people of Kurdistan must be respected, their voices must be respected, and the voters of Kurdistan must be respected. The election results must be taken into account. You cannot hold an election and then fail to respect the results. This is the principle we follow and will continue to follow.
What about the [formation] of the Iraqi government?
Regarding the Iraqi government, there are currently two issues. One is the issue of the Prime Minister, which is mostly tied to the Coordination Framework bloc. They must designate their candidate. We have seen some activity recently regarding who will become Prime Minister, what the problems are, and what the challenges are; these have all been discussed in the media. We are still waiting to see who the Coordination Framework candidate will be-whether they will continue with Mr. [Nouri] Maliki or if they will have a different opinion. As Kurds, we respect the majority view of the other parties and components, be it among Sunnis or Shiites. Similarly, regarding the position of the President of the Republic, we expect the other components to respect the majority vote of the people of Kurdistan.
According to the same logic, where the winning Shiite side designates its candidate, and the winning Sunni side designates its candidate, the winning Kurdish side must also designate its candidate for the Presidency. In this case, the KDP won the majority of the votes in Kurdistan, and it is the KDP’s right to designate its candidate based on that same logic. However, if the KDP were to waive this right, it would do so for the sake of the majority of the Kurdistan vote, to have a national Kurdish consensus on a unified candidate rather than a single party. A single party that did not win [the majority] does not have the right to insist that they must be the one to designate the candidate. The proposed mechanism is this: either the Kurdistan Parliament holds a special session for the nine candidates who have nominated themselves, and whoever wins the majority of the Kurdistan Parliament’s votes becomes the candidate for all of Kurdistan-and then the Kurdish parties support them-or the members of the Iraqi Parliament from Kurdistan vote on the candidates in the first step, and whoever receives the most votes becomes the joint candidate for all of Kurdistan. I think this is a logic that no one can stand against.
Would you, as the KDP, accept any results?
Certainly, we would accept it. We have advocated for a mechanism that carries the support of the majority of the people of Kurdistan. A single party cannot monopolize a position for itself. If they had won the election, it would be different; it could be discussed, and if they win, it is their right. But if they haven't won the election, they don't have the right to insist that the position must belong to them.
Mr. Masrour, let me ask a question about salaries. People are certainly waiting, and they are anxious. Employees are worried that the salary problem will continue this year. What are you doing in the Kurdistan Regional Government to reassure the people?
A significant part of the salary issue is tied to Baghdad and the decisions it makes. Constitutionally, the people of Kurdistan have the right to receive their financial entitlements without disruption or obstacles. Unfortunately, over the past several years, this issue has been politicized, resulting in months during which salaries for the people of Kurdistan were not paid because the issue was politicized. At times, the Iraqi government has complained of a lack of liquidity or a difficult economic situation. However, the deterioration of Iraq’s economy or the mismanagement of its revenues should not be borne by the people of Kurdistan alone.
Which is it, Your Excellency: mismanagement, or a difficult economic situation?
It is both. Mismanagement has led to a deteriorating economic situation. With sound governance, the economy would not be in its current state. However, this does not mean that the Kurds should be the only ones to pay the price for these wrong decisions. On the other hand, the Kurdistan Region has fulfilled its obligations [vis-a-vis] the federal government], and we expect the Iraqi government not to conflate the salary issue with other economic matters.
Although according to the constitution, many other things should have been done for the Region, such as the investment budget and the operational budget, besides the salaries. It is not just salaries; the budget contains many other things that the federal government, unfortunately, has so far failed to fulfill the responsibility that falls on it.