Kurdish politician: independence requires neighboring countries’ support

Independence is a legitimate right of the people of Kurdistan

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (K24) –Mahmood Osman, a prominent Kurdish politician, said that in order for Kurdistan to become independent, Kurds need to be united and the support of neighboring countries has to be considered.

Osman told K24 that, “Independence is a legitimate right of the people of Kurdistan but this matter needs unity amongst political parties and resolving the disputes with Baghdad, and the Kurdistan Region needs to get the support of the international community especially of neighboring countries.”

Asked about the current political deadlock in the Kurdistan Region and the Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani’s presidency resolution Osman said, “Barzani has frequently asked political parties to hold presidency elections or for them to agree upon someone to be the president until 2017.”

In the New Year message released on the Kurdistan Region Presidency (KRP) website on December 31, 2015, Barzani asked political parties to settle the presidency issue “by either deciding on elections for a new president, naming a new president until 2017, or agreeing on the status quo until 2017.”

Political parties in the Kurdistan Region have generally welcomed Barzani’s presidency resolution, viewing it as a good step forward in dealing with the current political deadlock.

Regarding the mechanism for electing the Kurdistan Region president whether via parliament or through direct vote by citizens, Osman told K24 that, “The assigned 21-persons committee for writing the Kurdistan Region draft constitution should consider the situation in Kurdistan.”

“I personally favor electing the Kurdistan Region president via direct vote by citizens,” Osman added.

Osman, who served as an Iraqi MP for two terms, said that, “Unity amongst the Kurds over the fateful matters is important.” Referring to the last visit by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) to Baghdad he told K24, “No political party should have talks with the Iraqi federal government alone for its own interests because this would weaken the Kurdish position in Baghdad.”