UNSC statement on Kurdistan Referendum purely advisory, no standing: Foreign Observer

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – Most of the statements regarding the Kurdistan Region’s referendum are advisory and carry no weight in terms of sanctions, a foreign observer said in Erbil.

Voting in the Kurdistan Region’s referendum on independence has already begun for people in the Diaspora, and those in the Kurdistan Region and disputed territories will vote on Sep. 25 whether to remain part of Iraq or secede.

The Kurdish leadership has insisted on holding the vote on time despite the opposition of Baghdad, neighboring countries, and the international community.

“All kinds of people make statements. They’re usually just advisory. They certainly have no sanctions and no authority,” Roger Lyons, former President of the Trades Union Congress, told Kurdistan 24. 

He is one of the thousands of foreign observers who flocked to the Kurdistan Region to monitor the referendum.

“The [UNSC statement on Kurdistan Referendum] is a purely advisory and it has no standing what so ever,” Lyons continued.“I know very well because I was taught international Relations by the man who wrote the UN Charter.” 

He mentioned the right to self-determination is a fundamental principle of the UN, and the UK in the Treaty of Sèvres in 1920 promised the Kurds the right of the self-determination and “They have the right to ask for it now.”

Derek Sawyer, former head of Islington Council in London, also traveled to Erbil in the capacity of an observer for the Kurdistan Region’s referendum.

“I am here to make sure the wishes of the Kurdistan Region’s people are expressed freely and properly,” he told Kurdistan 24.

Regarding the international community’s reaction toward the Kurdistan Region’s referendum, he said, “All the countries have the right to express their views, but nonetheless, all individuals in the world have the right to vote and have their say,” Sawyer added.

“It is important that that say is done properly, but it is ultimately a democratic process, and I am in favor of it,” he concluded.

A delegation of UK Members of Parliament is also in Erbil to monitor the voting process and later report their findings and the result of the referendum back to the UK Parliament.

Over five million people are eligible to vote in the Kurdistan Region’s referendum, including people currently live in the Diaspora.

Editing by G.H. Renaud