New PKK-affiliate in Shingal says not right time for Kurdistan referendum

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The head of the Ezidi Freedom and Democracy Party (PADE) Qahtan Shingali on Monday stated they support self-administration in Sinjar (Shingal) within the framework of Iraq.

The newly established Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)-affiliate in Shingal, PADE, was officially recognized by the Parliament of Iraq on April 30, 2017, according to a statement published by the party earlier this month.

The Kurdistan referendum cannot be held now in Shingal because most of the people in the city are displaced to the Kurdistan Region, the party leader told a local Iraqi news agency.

“We have told the Iraqi government that we do not want the referendum to take place in Shingal now,” Shingali stated.

The Kurdistan Region leadership has called for the holding of an independence referendum in 2017.

“The people of the Kurdistan Region have the right to decide on their future,” the President of the Kurdistan Region Masoud Barzani has repeatedly stated before.

Shingali also mentioned 40 percent of Shingal remains under the control of the Islamic State (IS) which includes 12 Ezidi villages and communities.

He added 150,000 to 200,000 people still live in camps in the Region.

IS occupied Shingal in August 2014. Following the occupation, hundreds of thousands of Yezidis (Ezidis) fled to Mount Shingal and the Kurdistan Region.

In November 2015, Peshmerga forces with the support of the US-led coalition airplanes liberated the city from the insurgent group.

However, the southern part of the city remains under the militant group’s control.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany