Politics

Kurdistan Referendum won’t bring independence immediately: UN

Head of the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq Jan Kubis praised the coordination between Peshmerga and other Iraqi forces in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) and highlighted the Kurdistan Region's intention to hold a referendum.

Sangar Ali 2017/05/23 07:30

kurdistan Kurdistan UN Iraq Peshmerga Jan Kubis Independence Referendum

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – On Monday, the head of the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq Jan Kubis praised the coordination between Peshmerga and other Iraqi forces in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) and highlighted the Kurdistan Region's intention to hold a referendum before the year's end.

Addressing the current situation in Iraq, Kubis told UN Security Council in New York that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) announced its intention to hold a referendum in 2017 on the future status of the Region.

“They [KRG) stressed that the objective of the plebiscite would be to show the world the will of the people, rather than to immediately declare independence. Also, authorities of Kirkuk indicated their willingness to take part in the planned referendum on the future status of the KR-I [Kurdistan Region – Iraq],” he said.

In the past few years, President of Kurdistan Region Masoud Barzani has strongly argued in favor of holding a referendum for independence, stating it is the right of people in the Kurdistan Region to decide their fate. The Kirkuk Governor and Provincial Council have also called for the inclusion and participation of the Kirkuk Province in the referendum.

“Two of the main KR-I political parties, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and the Movement for Change (Gorran), have insisted that any formal decision to hold a referendum would require an act by the Kurdistan Regional Parliament that would first need to reconvene,” Kubis said, mentioning that negotiations with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the largest ruling party in the region, regarding the reactivation of the parliament are ongoing.

“In the meantime, a joint committee has been formed to build consensus within the region, ahead of discussions on the referendum with the Federal Government [of Iraq],” Kubis added.

President Barzani has repeatedly stated that there is no real partnership with Iraq and Baghdad and that Kurds are treated as guests in the country.

Editing by G. H. Renaud