Maliki Seeks Kurdistan Support for Majority Govt

Mixed Reports on If PUK Faction Is on Board

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki continues his effort to secure a third term in office after winning a plurality in the elections, and is courting key factions in Kurdistan to be part of a majority coalition.

Maliki’s allies have already claimed two factions, the Gorran movement and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), were on board with the plan, though some PUK officials were denying that any deal was finalized.

The two parties combined offer 30 seats, and would be a valuable ally for Maliki’s State of Law, which in addition to its own 92 seats has a lot of support from independent Shi’ite candidates.

The largest Kurdish party, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), has ruled out supporting another term for Maliki, and urged the PUK, normally a close political ally, to reject the deal as well.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.