The House of Talabani has promised to restore relations and revitalize the KRI. Bafel is seeking to “stop smuggling, extortion, threats, and spying” while Qubad is warning security officials of interfering in politics. Much like the Castro brothers, Bafel and Qubad have until now shared their power; Qubad has traditionally worked in the government while Bafel in the party. Nonetheless, Lahur’s presence is a threat to Bafel that might prolong the power struggle. Even though Lahur refused to leave the PUK, he is currently powerless as both the CTG and the IA are now loyal to the House of Talabani. 

Farhang Faraydoon Namdar is a researcher and journalist covering the Middle East, he was the former editor in chief of Birst Newspaper. He has translated books and articles including Francis Fukuyama’s State Building: Governance and World Order in the 21st Century into Kurdish. Currently, he is a researcher at Gorran Movement/Iraq.