Lahur Talabany should lead PUK and Bafel Talabani arrested

[Anthea]

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Lahur Talabany's farmhouse raided

Lahur Talabany, the ousted co-chair of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), on Wednesday claimed that his farmhouse in Sulaimani was unlawfully raided by “a group of outlaws,” sparking a response from the province’s local security forces (Asayish) saying the forces had legal permit to conduct the operation

“This afternoon, a group of outlaws using an armed force and without a judge’s order or any excuse, raided the farmhouse of Mr. Lahur Sheikh Jangi [Talabany] in Sulaimani’s Kellaspi village, while that farmhouse has not been used for two years and there are no forces present inside it, only housing a number of people from the area that were working as houseworker and gardeners,” read a statement from Lahur Talabany’s office.

The statement said that they hold PUK leader Bafel Talabani and his brother Qubad Talabani responsible for the safety of the farmhouse’s workers, calling on the Kurdistan Region’s presidency, government, judiciary, diplomatic missions and the United Nations to take notice of the “dangerous act.”

Sulaimani’s Asayish said later in the day that their forces had seized a number of farmhouses and properties in Sulaimani that were being used for “illegal activities” and housing several “fugitives of the law,” without specifically naming the ousted PUK co-chair.

The statement from the Asayish said that the operations were conducted “after obtaining the approval of a specialized judge,” in which firearms silencers and illegal drugs were confiscated, in addition to arresting a number of “wanted” suspects.

The PUK was rocked by a power struggle in July 2021 as Bafel Talabani ousted Lahur Talabany. Bafel Talabani said the shakeup was to end abuse of party positions such as smuggling and extortion.

The cousins’ internal issues escalated when Bafel Talabani decided to change the heads of the PUK’s intelligence agency and counter-terrorism units, who were affiliated to Lahur Talabany, replacing them with people loyal to himself

In February, Lahur Talabany said in a video statement that he was restored all his “political rights” by a court’s decision, adding that he would be reassuming his position as the co-chair of the PUK going forward.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/080320233

[Anthea]

Peshmerga reforms very slow

A senior official from the Peshmerga ministry said Thursday major reforms within the armed forces are moving forward “very slowly” due to tensions between the ruling parties

Although the Peshmerga forces are nominally under the authority of the ministry, control of the two largest units is divided between the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). Western allies are helping the Peshmerga to unite under one command and modernise, with the US-led global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) overseeing the process.

“There is a reform process which progresses, but very slowly,” Bakhtyar Mohammed, secretary general of the Peshmerga ministry, told Rudaw’s Nwenar Fatih on Thursday.

“The first reason is the political unrest in the Kurdistan Region, especially the tensions between KDP and PUK,” he said. Another factor stalling progress is the absence of a minister.

Peshmerga Minister Shoresh Ismail, from the PUK, was unhappy with political parties interfering in the ministry and submitted his resignation late last year. He is no longer filling the role even though his resignation has not yet been officially accepted by the Council of Ministers. The PUK appointed Rebaz Birkoti as a replacement but the Council of Ministers and the parliament have yet to approve it. The delay is reportedly associated with tensions between the governing parties.

Relations between the KDP and PUK have gone through rocky periods over the decades. Recently, tensions have been heightened over finances, transparency in the provinces under their influence, and the assassination of a former PUK colonel in the KDP-held city of Erbil in October.

Mohammed said reforms are not possible without better relations between the political parties.

Kurdistan Region’s allies are pressuring the KDP and PUK to mend fences. Acting US Consul General to the Kurdistan Region Zehra Bell said on Sunday that “as a friend and partner” to the Region, Washington “feels strongly that the Kurdish political parties put aside their differences and work together for the betterment of the people”.

Meetings between the two parties have recently resumed, with both sides expressing their desire for dialogue though the PUK is maintaining its boycott of weekly cabinet meetings as a form of protest expressing their concerns with the government.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/18032023

[Anthea]

Unifying Peshmerga forces

Kurdistan Region President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Nechirvan Barzani on Tuesday renewed calls to continue the unification of the Peshmerga forces, saying that the forces want to serve the Region, instead of being linked to political parties

The president attended the inauguration ceremony of two Peshmerga infantry divisions, consisting of over 20,000 members. The newly appointed Peshmerga will be divided over four brigades and an office per division and will assume their roles starting from Tuesday.

President Barzani delivered a speech during the ceremony, highlighting the importance of consolidating the Peshmerga and organizing the forces under a single, unified banner, removed from political party affiliations.

“We will do everything within our powers to strengthen the Peshmerga forces and all its military capabilities,” said Barzani, adding that “The inauguration of these two divisions is part of the organization and unification of the Peshmerga in a modern structure."

“They [Peshmerga] do not want the organization and unification process to stop, as they do not want to be linked to a political or party name. They want to be Peshmerga of Kurdistan, not Peshmerga of parties," he added.

While delivering a speech to the graduating class of Zakho Military College in May of last year, President Barzani pointed out that there was only one Christian graduate among 502 other Peshmerga officers, encouraging other minorities, such as Yazidis and Turkmen, to enlist in the force.

Barzani said on Tuesday that he was “glad” to see more Christian, Yazidi, and Arab Peshmerga officers among the two new divisions, but stressed that more facilitation needs to be made for minorities of the Kurdistan Region joining the armed forces, as the Peshmerga is for all people of the Region regardless of religious or ethnic background.

The president also mentioned that two joint-brigades have been formed with the Iraqi army in the disputed areas, and that they have been allocated a share in the Iraqi federal budget for 2023.

On Saturday, Iraq’s Deputy Finance Minister, Masoud Haider, told Rudaw that the 2023 budget bill includes funds to establish the said joint brigades, adding that when the budget bill is passed, Peshmerga will legally be a part of Iraq’s defence and security system.

Although the Peshmerga forces are under the authority of the Peshmerga ministry, the force’s two largest units are divided among the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and Kurdistan’s Democratic Party (KDP).

Unit 70 forces are affiliated with the PUK and Unit 80 forces are controlled by the KDP, making up the majority of the Peshmerga forces, amounting to over 100,000 troops.

Over the past few years, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has put the unification of the Peshmerga forces on its agenda, and while reasonable steps have been taken towards unification and a number of brigades controlled by the PUK and the KDP have been added to the ministry, many remain to do so.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/04042023

[Thomas Brown]

On Thursday, another expelled member of the leadership disagreed with the choice.

This judgement is invalid. It is not in anyone's decision to remove leadership members, and this decision is not based on the bylaws. Hassan informed Bahroz Faraidoon of Rudaw that "leadership members were elected in a congress vote and it is the only way they can be removed."
Bafel Talabani asserted that Lahur Talabany had been poisoned by associates of his competitor after the latter was pushed out of office. https://makeatea.com/coconut-chai-tea/This week, Mala Bakhtiar, a high-ranking PUK official and Bafel Talabani's father-in-law, also asserted that he had been poisoned and was receiving treatment in Germany.  He blamed "comrades" for the poisoning on Monday but avoided giving names. Lahur Talabany stated in the video message on Tuesday that the party

[Anthea]

Unifying Peshmerga forces

President of the Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani on Monday chaired a meeting between a high-level delegation of the US-led coalition and the Peshmerga ministry in which efforts to reform and unite the Peshmerga were discussed

The meeting was attended by Major General Matthew McFarlane, commander of the coalition and Irvin Hicks Jr., the US consul general in Erbil, and “discussed the reorganization and reform of the Peshmerga forces and assessed the stages of implementation of the plan within the framework of the agreement between the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs and the US Department of Defense,” according to a statement from President Barzani’s office.

Although the Peshmerga forces are nominally under the authority of the ministry, control of the two largest units is divided between the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). Western allies are helping the Peshmerga to unite under one command and modernise, with the US-led global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) overseeing the process.

During the meeting, Barzani “appreciated the continuous support of the coalition partners to the Peshmerga in all fields and during the different stages, and stressed the need to accelerate any steps to reunite the Peshmerga and to remove obstacles to the process of unification, and expressed his readiness for any assistance and support in this regard.”

In March, a senior official from the Peshmerga ministry said that major reforms within the forces are moving forward “very slowly” due to ongoing tensions between the KDP and PUK.

Relations between the KDP and PUK have gone through rocky periods in recent years. Tensions over finances, transparency in the provinces under their influence, and the assassination of a former PUK colonel in Erbil have hindered major reform from materializing in the Region.

Washington has maintained a strong relationship with the Kurdistan Region and Iraq. The US has provided the Kurdish Peshmerga with several rounds of military aid over the years, namely in the fight against ISIS beginning in 2014.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/170420231