Kurdistan Region parties unite for independence referendum

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – Kurdistan Region’s ruling parties have launched a round of meetings to discuss the process of holding the independence referendum.

A joint delegation from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) visited the Kurdistan Islamic Union Party (KIU) and Islamic Group on Monday to discuss the referendum and dialogues with Baghdad.

The meetings follow the Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani's prompting on Sunday when he chaired a joint meeting between the political bureaus of KDP and PUK.

In a press conference following the meeting, Rozh Nuri Shawes, KDP political bureau, said that both sides emphasized that referendum was a vital national priority for the people of Kurdistan, stating that the three sides share similar views towards holding the referendum.

Shawes added that Kurdistan independence referendum will be discussed with all political parties in the Kurdistan Region and their perspectives and suggestions would be taken into consideration.

Hadi Ali, Head of KIU’s Executive Council said they fully support the referendum.

The joint delegation also visited the Islamic Group of Kurdistan and held a meeting with its leader Ali Bapir.

The meetings followed by a press conference where Mala Bakhtiyar, Chief Executive of the PUK urged political parties to take advantage of the opportunity in hand to unite.

The leader of the Islamic Group also emphasized the need for a unified effort on such crucial matters [independence referendum], stating that whatever we do to determine our rights should be through dialogue and understanding with Baghdad and neighboring countries.

Editing by Ava Homa