Masoud Barzani, Iraq’s parliament speaker meet to discuss regional developments
They both agreed to "work together with all political factions to end the current crisis in Iraq and restore stability to Baghdad and the rest of the governorates."
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Masoud Barzani, President of the leading Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), received Mohamed al-Halbousi, Speaker of the Council of Representatives of Iraq, in Erbil on Sunday.
In the meeting, both Barzani and Halbousi had an in-depth exchange regarding the recent political developments and instability in Iraq, a statement from the KDP leader’s press office read, noting the two had released a separate joint statement regarding the next political phase in Iraq.
In that joint statement, they both agreed to “work together with all political factions to end the current crisis in Iraq and restore stability to Baghdad and the rest of the governorates in the south of Iraq.”
They also underlined that the next Iraqi government “must represent all the factions, religions, and minorities in Iraq” and it must embody “national partnership.”
“The next government program must include a clear vision in preparing for the early elections as soon as possible in response to the demands of the demonstrators, and this issue should be a priority for the next government,” the statement added.
“The government agenda must also include a clear and public plan to restore esteem to state institutions, maintain societal peace, end external interventions, confine arms to the state, and end unofficial military entities.”
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Regarding the presence of American and foreign troops in the country, both sides emphasized the need for “continued cooperation with the Global Coalition to assist Iraq to stand up against the threat of terrorism and eliminate the remnants of ISIS.”
Finally, Barzani and Halbousi agreed that a system of communication and coordination is necessary “to maintain close bilateral communication, in order to coordinate between the two parties and all the other sides” in Iraq.
Editing by Karzan Sulaivany
