Iraqi Kurdish lawmakers announced Sunday that they will not accept less than 20 per cent of the new government posts to be formed by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.
The announcement came after the heads of Kurdish parties met with Parliament Speaker, Saleem al-Jubouri, on Sunday.
“The Kurds will not accept less than 20 per cent of the ministerial posts in any new cabinet,” Kurdish MP, Ala Talabani said at a press conference.
“The Kurds should participate in the political process,” she added. “This government should not repeat the mistakes made by previous governments”.
The head of the Gorran (Change) movement in Iraq’s parliament, Hoshyar Abdullah, said the five Kurdish parties in the assembly had reached an agreement regarding the anticipated cabinet reshuffle.
“We have agreed with President Fuad Masum on the need to protect Kurdish gains in the new government,” he said.
The Kurdish parties represented in the Iraqi parliament are: the Kurdistan Democratic Party; the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan; the Movement for Change; the Kurdistan Islamic Group and the Kurdistan Islamic Union.
Previously, Abadi had announced a reform package which included replacing the current cabinet of party-affiliated ministers with technocrats as part of efforts to tackle corruption.
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