Deadly political divisions raise risks for Kurdistan
Rivalries between political leaders in Sulaimaniya have exploded into violence and undermined relations between Iraqi Kurdistan’s two ruling parties at a key political moment.
Bafel Talabani (left) and Lahur Talabany (right) at a Patriotic Union of Kurdistan party gathering on June 15, 2021. (Source: PUK Media)
SULAIMANIYA/ERBIL - A deadly conflict between rival political leaders in Sulaimaniya has driven a new wedge between Iraqi Kurdistan's two main ruling parties, undermining their ability to present a unified front in Baghdad to defend against several threats to the regional government's autonomy.
After a battle that killed at least six combatants on Aug. 21 and 22 at the Lalazar Hotel in Sulaimaniya, Bafel Talabani, the president of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), has reportedly blamed the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) for fomenting an alleged coup against his leadership.
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