ERBIL —Kurdistan Region Minister of Construction and Housing, Dana Abdulkareem, has openly opposed recent moves by senior members of the Goran (Change Movement) to withdraw from the government, calling their decision “illegal and unenforceable.”

Abdulkareem, who also leads Gorran’s ministerial team, emphasized that only the movement’s elected National Council has the authority to make such decisions.

At a news conference, Abdulkareem expressed his commitment to following the directives of the National Council, underscoring the illegitimacy of recent withdrawal calls made by certain members outside the council’s structure. "In my role, I am fully committed to any decision by the National Council,” he affirmed, adding that a recent meeting held by the council’s members lacked a proper quorum and legitimacy.

The move to withdraw comes after Gorran’s National Council endorsed Dana Ahmad Majid as its new Secretary General on October 9, 2024. Majid, succeeding Omar Said Ali, highlighted the importance of the upcoming Kurdistan Parliament elections, encouraging Gorran’s supporters to actively engage in the campaign.

Gorran, founded in 2009 by Nawshirwan Mustafa after a split from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), has seen diminishing support in recent years. The party currently holds 12 seats in the Kurdistan Parliament and has historically aligned with pro-reform opposition ideals.