Speaking during an election campaign in Ranya district, as part of the party’s parliamentary election campaign ahead of the Iraqi elections scheduled for November 11, Talabani said the PUK is committed to responding to the people’s demands.

"We will not be part of a weak government in the Kurdistan Region, nor will we be part of a KRG cabinet that cuts off people’s livelihoods to form armed groups for someone," he said.

Talabani urged voters to back the PUK, stressing that the party will pursue Kurdish rights through institutional engagement with Baghdad.

"With your votes and strength, we will go to Baghdad and fight for constitutional rights through diplomacy, not slogans, because salaries and strategic issues are resolved in Baghdad, not in Erbil," he stated.

He added that PUK has influence in the federal capital: "In Baghdad, the PUK is listened to, so we will not abandon Baghdad. From there, we will serve Kurdistan Region the most and never turn our backs on the people."

More than a year since the Kurdistan parliamentary elections, the Kurdistan Region remains without a new government or functioning parliament. Despite the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the PUK together holding enough seats to form a majority cabinet, the two sides have been unable to agree on a power-sharing arrangement—particularly regarding leadership over security and intelligence institutions.

As a result, the formation of the KRG’s tenth cabinet remains stalled, and parliament has been unable to reconvene since its opening session last December.