A power struggle has ensued.
The Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) is a confederacy between the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) its rival Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). The PUK controls the Sulaymaniyah governorate and its surroundings. It is a quasi-state as it possesses its own diplomatic, military, and intelligence services. The KRI’s existence and stability depend on the relationship between the PUK and the KDP. However, since the absence of its charismatic leader, the PUK’s authority has disintegrated, and the party is in disarray.
Amid the chaos, Lahur Talabani emerged as the de-facto leader of the PUK with a personal politics based on hatred towards the KDP threatening the KRI’s unity. However, in a sudden, internal maneuvering, Lahur’s cousin, Bafel Talabani, ousted him, a move Lahur called a coup orchestrated by regional powers. Nonetheless, rifts within Lahur’s entourage led to his ousting. Lahur’s media and companies were seized and he wa