KDP Vice-President promises new phase of prosperity in Kurdistan

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Vice-President of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Nechirvan Barzani on Monday said the greatest issues between the Kurdistan Region and Iraq are related to Kurdistan’s share of the national budget and the implementation of Article 140 regarding the status of disputed areas.

Addressing a crowd of young supporters in Erbil, the KDP Vice-President said his party’s aim in the upcoming Iraqi Parliamentary elections is to address concerns related to the national budget as well as constitutional violations.

The Iraqi Constitution, consisting of 144 articles, was approved in a referendum and later by Parliament in 2005. Fifty-five of the items are related to the Kurdistan Region. The most important to the Kurds are Articles 140 and 132, none of which have been implemented thus far.

Article 140 relates to the status of disputed areas between Erbil and Baghdad, and Article 132 is about compensation for the people of Kurdistan affected by the dictatorship of the former Iraqi regime.

Regarding the national budget, Baghdad cut the Region’s share in 2014, accusing the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) of selling its oil independently.

“The KDP has always made sacrifices to achieve the rights of the people of Kurdistan, and we will continue to make these sacrifices until we have guaranteed all the rights that the Peshmerga fighters struggled and shed blood for,” Barzani stated.

He reiterated his party’s determination to fight for the rights of the people of the Kurdistan Region, including their right to self-determination.

Pledging a new phase of construction and prosperity in Kurdistan, Barzani highlighted the contribution of the KDP to help establish the Region as one of the most prosperous parts of Iraq, noting that his party would continue to do so.

Barzani thanked the crowd and said their support for the KDP would bring a brighter future to the people of the Kurdistan Region.

He urged all of them to go the ballot boxes on May 12 and place their votes.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany