Politics

Barzani: Iraqi elections create new opportunity to resolve Erbil-Baghdad issues

Abidance by the principles of partnership, consensus, and balance will help resolve the issues between Erbil and Baghdad, according to former Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani.

Baxtiyar Goran 2018/06/05 14:42

kurdistan Kurdistan Erbil Baghdad Relations Iraq Iraqi Elections

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – One side should not determine the future of Iraq as a new opportunity to resolve the stranded issues between Erbil and Baghdad has now emerged, President of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Masoud Barzani said on Tuesday.

In a series of tweets posted to his personal Twitter account, Barzani called for a focus on the principles of partnership, consensus, and balance to reach common ground regarding matters between the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.

“Following the Iraqi [parliamentary] elections on May 12, 2018, there have emerged a number of observations on the elections and the subsequent results and the possibility of a new opportunity through which the issues may be resolved,” Barzani wrote.

Ties deteriorated between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Iraqi government following Kurdistan’s historic independence referendum last September.

Although an overwhelming majority (92 percent) voted for secession from Iraq, Baghdad ignored the results of the referendum and imposed collective punitive measures against Erbil, including an international flight ban and the use of military force in disputed areas.

The KDP leader noted that “the focus [of the new Iraqi government] should be on the principles of partnership, consensus, and balance and not as in the previous phases where one side determines the fate of an entire country.”

Barzani added that the Kurdistan Region was “seriously attempting to reach a common ground” with Baghdad based on those three principles.

“It is our sincere hope that abidance by those principles will resolve the issues between Erbil and Baghdad and the other political issues in Iraq,” he concluded.

In a previous statement, Barzani said he hoped for a review of relations between Erbil and Baghdad so the two could proceed toward common goals.

Since his resignation in November 2017, Barzani holds no official governmental post but remains the leader of the KDP, the largest and most influential party in the Kurdistan Region.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany