Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) met yesterday with the agenda to activate the parliament.

In the statement made after the meeting, the parties said they agreed on reopening the parliament with Dr. Yusif Mihemed as the chairperson, and electing a new chairperson in the second session.

The Gorran Movement met today to discuss the issue. After the meeting, Goran Movement Spokesperson Şoreş Hecî stated that the parliament needs to reopen with the elected presidential council in order to resolve the political and economical crises in Southern Kurdistan.

Hecî said: “The main problem preventing the activation of the parliament is not the change of chairperson. The main problem is that the regional presidential term is up.”

Hecî stated that they won’t accept the reactivation of the parliament without arrangements being made in the financial and administrative areas and an administrative system change.

The regional presidential elections should have been held on August 20, 2015 but a political crisis broke out among political parties in Southern Kurdistan when it didn’t happen. On October 2015, parliamentary activity was suspended when the parliamentary chairperson from the Gorran Movement Yusuf Muhammed was not allowed to enter Hewlêr by the KDP security forces. KDP later removed 5 Gorran ministers in the cabinet from office.