The letter represents a return salvo by Sheikh Jangi in the ongoing power struggle within the Sulaimani-based party, which has heated up in recent days.
On Tuesday evening, Sheikh Jangi released a statement criticizing the direction of the party under Talabani and his brother, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani, citing its poor performance in the recent parliamentary election.
Talabani responded by signing a letter expelling Sheikh Jangi, his brother Aram, Ala Talabani, Shadman Mala Hassan, and Zhino Muhammed, accusing them of violations of the party’s internal laws.
Sheikh Jangi said in his own letter on Thursday that he was reclaiming the leadership powers that he transferred to Talabani on a temporary basis in July because his conditions for stepping aside were not met, including convening the General Leadership Council and forming a committee to investigate accusations made against him.
In that renewed capacity, he said that he was annulling Talabani’s decisions over the last few months, including the apparent expulsions, claiming that they were contrary to the internal by-laws of the PUK.
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