NRT reported that the meeting, which was closed to the press, is an attempt to create a Kurdistani bloc to support an agreement between Erbil and Baghdad about the budget.

Officials from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the Change Movement (Gorran), the Kurdistan Islamic Group (KIG), and the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) are participating in the meeting.

The New Generation Movement declined to participate, Qadir said.

While the parties are often at odds within the Kurdistan Region, they have historically cooperated in Baghdad and in Kirkuk to advance the interests of residents of the Region.

The meeting came after the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the federal government reached an agreement on the Region’s share of the federal budget for 2020. Erbil has agreed to export 250,000 barrels of oil per day through Baghdad starting next year.

There are a total of 44 MPs that represent Sulaimani, Erbil, and Duhok governorates in the Council of Representatives.

The KDP has 25 seats, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan PUK has 18, the Change Movement has 5, New Generation has 2, the Future Bloc has 2, the KIU has 2, the KIG has 2, and there are 2 independents that were formerly associated with the Coalition for Democracy and Justice. The PUK and KDP also hold seats in Diyala, Kirkuk, and Nineveh governorates.

Reporter’s code: 50101