Kurdistan Region President Urges Full Implementation of Constitution for Iraq’s Stability at MERI Forum
He described the current approach of the federal government toward the Kurdistan Region as “very strong centralism,” while reiterating that Baghdad remains the Kurdistan Region’s strategic depth.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani emphasized the importance of fully implementing the Iraqi constitution to attain political, social, and economic stability in Iraq during his address at the Middle East Research Institute (MERI) forum on Wednesday.
“The Iraqi constitution was a significant achievement for the Kurdistan Region, but we must ask whether it has been implemented as intended,” President Barzani said. “The answer is, of course, no. If we want to see a prosperous Iraq politically, socially, and economically, the first condition is to comply with the Iraqi constitution.”
He described the current approach of the federal government toward the Kurdistan Region as “very strong centralism,” while reiterating that Baghdad remains the Kurdistan Region’s strategic depth. “We must reach an agreement with them,” he added.
Turning to the upcoming Iraqi parliamentary elections, President Barzani highlighted their importance, calling them “the beginning of a new phase” for the country. He urged citizens to take the elections seriously and encouraged Kurdish participation to demonstrate unity and influence in Baghdad.
Regarding the Kurdistan Region’s own elections, Barzani praised the successful conduct of the sixth session of the Kurdistan Parliament elections, noting that progress has been made in cooperation between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).
“We have reached a crucial stage with the PUK; we have created a joint document outlining our political vision for the country’s future and our approach to dealing with Baghdad,” he stated. “We only need to agree on positions within the Kurdistan Region.” However, he expressed uncertainty about the formation of the tenth cabinet of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) before the Iraqi parliamentary elections.
Addressing the issue of public sector salaries, President Barzani underscored that after the Iraqi parliamentary elections, the government must both implement the constitution in full and resolve the salary issue in the Kurdistan Region.
The MERI forum, held annually in Erbil, brings together senior officials, diplomats, and experts to discuss Iraq and the region’s political and economic challenges.
