Burhan Sheikh Raouf, a member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), explained why his party and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) still haven’t agreed on one candidate for the presidency.
He said the main issue isn’t just the person—it’s how that person should be chosen.
According to him, the KDP wants the candidate to be selected through the Kurdish blocs in the Kurdistan Region’s parliament. But the PUK disagrees with that approach.
Raouf said the PUK believes the process should follow the same political understandings and past agreements between the two parties, where the presidency has traditionally gone to the PUK.
He also pointed out that the KDP currently holds the majority in both the Kurdistan Region parliament and Iraq’s federal parliament. Because of that, if the decision is left to the regional parliament, it would likely favor the KDP.
In simple terms, the disagreement comes down to trust, past deals, and control over the selection process—not just the position itself.
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