Sunni factions support Masoud Barzani’s initiative regarding Iraq presidency

PUK candidate Barham Salih has issued a statement rejecting the initiative KDP President Masoud Barzani had proposed in their meeting on Friday.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The National Front Coalition, which consists of major Sunni factions, have expressed support for an initiative the President of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) presented regarding a mechanism for Kurdish factions to select a single candidate for the Iraqi presidency.

In a statement on Saturday, the National Front Coalition announced its support for KDP President Masoud Barzani’s initiative to elect a unified candidate for the Iraqi president post.

Following a meeting on Friday with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s (PUK) nominee for the Iraqi presidency, Barzani said the Kurdish blocs in Baghdad have to finalize a united candidate for the post.

“[The National Front] reiterates its support for President Masoud Barzani on the need for Kurdish factions to reach an agreement on a single candidate for the presidency where all other parties respect the choice,” the statement said.

The partners’ commitment to the constitutional timeline is the cornerstone to build an institutional state and to remove the barriers for the construction and development that the Iraqi people are looking forward to seeing in the next stage, the Sunni factions stressed.

The National Front Coalition also called for national unity among all Iraqi political parties and the Kurdish factions, adding they hope the Kurdish factions agree on a single candidate to present to the parliament for a final decision.

PUK candidate Barham Salih, meanwhile, issued a statement rejecting the initiative the KDP President had proposed in their meeting, stating that the nominees have to be finalized in the Iraqi Parliament.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany