Kurdistan state would be decentralized, with local governments, parliaments in each province

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – An independent Kurdistan would not have a central government, but rather a decentralized federal system where each province has a parliament and local governments, the Kurdish President stated on Wednesday.

“Kirkuk is a Kurdistani city with a Kurdistani identity, nevertheless, following the referendum, we are ready to negotiate borders with Baghdad, especially for Kirkuk province,” the President of the Kurdistan Region, Masoud Barzani stated during an interview with Asharq Awsat newspaper based in London.

On Tuesday, the Kirkuk Provincial Council (KPC) with a majority vote decided to take part in the Kurdistan Region independence referendum scheduled for Sep. 25.

“We are ready to make Kirkuk a bright example of co-existence between various ethnic and religious groups, but if anyone thinks about taking Kirkuk by force, all the people of the Kurdistan Region will defend the area and face them in battle,” Barzani added.

Kirkuk is an oil-rich province with a diverse ethnic and religious makeup comprised of Arabs, Turkmens, and Christians along with a Kurdish majority.

He also explained that an independent state of Kurdistan would not pursue a central system of governing.

“We do not want to create a central state, but a system similar to federalism so that each province would have its own local government and parliament. The state capital would be Erbil,” said the Kurdish President.

“Subjects related to the sovereign state, such as the army, foreign and financial policies, would be based in Erbil, but for other affairs, local governments would administer themselves. We should not be thinking about a forceful central governing system, but rather, we have to be cooperative,” Barzani mentioned.

The president recently suggested in meetings with ethnic and religious groups in the Kurdistan Region that the national anthem and flag of the independent Kurdistan could be reviewed to reflect all the different components of the region.

On Wednesday, in a meeting with university lecturers, Barzani emphasized that the referendum would be held on time and that it would not be delayed unless the people of the Kurdistan Region receive a guarantee for independence in the future.

“The people of the Kurdistan Region have the right to democratically and peacefully decide on their future, and the international community should respect their decision,” Barzani said before.

Editing by G.H. Renaud