ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Democratic Party’s (KDP) 80th anniversary comes amid “difficult circumstances” facing the Kurdistan Region, the leader of the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) said on Sunday, urging the ruling party to help end a nearly two-year political deadlock that has stalled the formation of a new government.
“I hope that you will rise to the responsibility and the expectations of our people,” KIU Secretary-General Salahaddin Bahaaddin said in a congratulatory message marking the anniversary.
He called on the KDP to “reactivate the process of reconciliation and the functioning of legitimate national institutions, further reorganize the Kurdish and Iraqi domestic front, and keep the Region and the country away from unwanted disasters.”
The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the KDP’s main rival and governing partner, also congratulated the party, saying it hoped “all parties makes national and democratic goals the foundation for overcoming the current situation facing Kurdistan and our region, in order to sustain and responsibly rectify the course of our experience.”
Founded in 1946, the KDP brought together Kurdish leaders and intellectuals from across the political spectrum. Under the leadership of the late Mullah Mustafa Barzani, the party spearheaded a nearly 15-year struggle against the Iraqi government beginning in 1961.
The KDP and PUK jointly formed the first Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) cabinet in 1992.
KDP leader Masoud Barzani issued a statement on Sunday commemorating the party’s 80th anniversary.
“The KDP was established during a difficult and arduous era to restore hope and strength to the people of Kurdistan,” he said, adding that, “In the past, present, and future, the KDP remains an instrument to serve the people and fulfill our national and patriotic values and goals.”
KDP First Deputy President Nechirvan Barzani said the party “must continuously adapt to the spirit of the era and modern developments, promote institutionalization, and advance governance” so it remains “the primary source of trust and the ultimate guarantor of the legitimate rights of the people of Kurdistan.”
The anniversary comes as the KDP and PUK remain unable to form the 10th KRG cabinet, nearly 22 months after the Kurdistan Region held parliamentary elections in October 2024.
The two parties have primarily disagreed over the distribution of key senior positions and governance structures, plunging the Region into a prolonged political deadlock.
The KDP emerged from the election as the largest party with 39 seats, followed by the PUK with 23 and the opposition New Generation Movement with 15.
In early July, the PUK and New Generation reached a comprehensive agreement to coordinate their 38 seats and divide political posts in the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad.
The KDP rejected the alliance, saying it was aimed at challenging its 39-seat plurality in parliament and its hold on power. The party has said it will negotiate with the parties separately rather than treating them as a single bloc.
Earlier this year, the KIU launched an initiative aimed at breaking the political deadlock by bringing the rival parties together. The efforts reportedly created a positive atmosphere but have yet to yield any tangible results.
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