DEMYC to send mission to observe Kurdistan independence referendum

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The Kurdistan Region is a great model of peaceful coexistence between all ethnic and religious groups who all peacefully share the same land, Democrat Youth Community of Europe (DEMYC) said on Tuesday.

Earlier this month, the President of the Kurdistan Region Masoud Barzani decided to hold an independence referendum on Sep. 25, 2017.

President Barzani declared the people of the Kurdistan Region have the right to resolve their future.

In a statement, DEMYC said they would participate in the referendum by sending an observation mission to oversee the event.

It called on the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to consider the rights of ethnic and religious groups living in the Region while holding the referendum.

“We expect that any decision to be taken regarding the future of [the Kurdistan Region] will be respectful of the Constitution of the Republic of Iraq, regarding all necessary provisions,” the statement read.

Founded in 1964, DEMYC is one of the strongest political youth organizations in Europe.

It has over one million affiliates in its member organizations and currently consists of 45 national associations from 33 countries in Europe.

In another part of the statement, DEMYC acknowledged the right of citizens to decide their future, the non-binding character of the Region’s independence referendum, and the aspirations of the people in the Kurdistan Region.

It pointed to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 688 which highlights the suffering of Kurds, Assyrians, Ezidis, and other groups by the former dictator of Iraq Saddam Hussein.

The report also emphasized the “true courage” of the Kurdish Peshmerga forces battling the Islamic State (IS) in coordination with other forces.

The Kurdistan Region “became a great model of peaceful coexistence between different ethnicities and religions,” DEMYC added.

The organization also noted that “Assyrians, Chaldeans, Armenians, Ezidis, and Turks [among others] peacefully share the same land.”

Kurds are believed to be the largest stateless nation in the world, estimated at over 40 million, mostly settled in Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria.

The creation of a Kurdish state has long been a dream for almost all Kurds around the world.

Kurdish officials have said the referendum would include the Kurdistan Region as well as disputed territories, including the oil-rich province of Kirkuk.

Additionally, the referendum’s ballot question will be in four languages: Kurdish, Arabic, Turkmen, and Assyrian.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany