PUK, KDP to implement new roadmap, reactivate parliament

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – Two major parties of Kurdistan Region, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), held a meeting Tuesday in Erbil to discuss the internal issues and the independence referendum.

Mala Bakhtiyar, Head of PUK’s Executive Body in a joint press conference with Nechirvan Barzani, the KDP Vice-President, said that the meeting agreed on resolving all internal issues based on a road map PUK presented to the KDP.

Mala Bakhtiyar reiterated the PUK's position on the referendum, stating that they agree with the referendum and Kurdistan independence.

Asked about whether Gorran Movement and the Islamic Group of Kurdistan-Iraq support referendum, Mala Bakhtiyar said that they both support the referendum and independence but there are small details [which he said are not known to PUK and KDP] that need to be clarified in forthcoming meetings.

In relation to parliament, the PUK senior member told reporters that they are working with Gorran to reactivate the Kurdistan Parliament.

Kurdistan political parties are expected to discuss the disputed areas in the independence referendum because the Iraqi successive governments have deliberately not abided by the Constitution and have not implemented the Article 140 of the Constitution, Mala Bakhtiyar stated.

About the PUK and KDP relations, Mala Bakhtriyar stressed on the need for a new agreement based on mutual interests, saying that parties’ common goals are unifying factors.

For his part, Barzani said that the meeting was important as both delegations discussed practical points of the PUK’s roadmap and mechanism to implement them in near future.

Barzani expressed KDP’s readiness to reconvene the parliament, stating that his party has lifted all conditions for the reactivation of Parliament and awaits Gorran to come forward with a decision.  

He reiterated that independence referendum was the decision of all the political parties and there has not been any discussion about the postponement of the referendum.

"We have asked those who insist on postponement what their alternative is," he concluded.

Editing by Ava Homa