Political parties welcome Barzani’s presidency resolution
On December 31, 2015, Barzani proposed three scenarios, asking the political parties to agree upon one.
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (K24) - Political parties in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region consider the New Year message by President Masoud Barzani a good step forward in dealing with the current political deadlock.
In a message published on the Kurdistan Region Presidency website on December 31, 2015, Barzani proposed three scenarios, asking the political parties to agree upon one. “I call on all parties to settle this [presidency] issue, by either deciding on elections for a new president, or name a new president until 2017, or agree on the status quo until 2017,” Barzani said.
Begard Talabani, a member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Political Bureau, said that, “We see Barzani’s message as a good step forward, hoping in the New Year, all political parties meet at the negotiation table to indicate the problems in order to find solutions for them.”
Shukria Ismael, an Islamic Group MP, welcomed Barzani’s New Year message but stressed the need for implementing the initiative. "It's important that Barzani and political parties insist on participation of the Gorran Movement in the meetings as they [Gorran] are also one side of the problem and should be encouraged to be part of the talks between political parties,” she told K24.
Bestoon Faiq, Gorran Movement MP, speaking to K24 on the phone said that Gorran does not have any pre-conditions for holding meetings but insisted his party’s position that “solving the current political problems is in the hands of Barzani.”
Ahmed Warty, Kurdistan Islamic Movement spokesman told K24, “Barzani’s statement is a political project, all political parties were waiting for such initiative to become a base for resolving the problems.”
It is also a good step forward as a foundation for the political parties to meet in order to find a solution for the current problems in the Kurdistan Region especially regarding the Kurdistan presidency and parliament,” Warty said.
“Today our people need our unity most. Instead of political bickering, we must unite and address the pressing challenges faced by our people,” Barzani said in the message.