Kurdistan Region President, UK Ambassador to Iraq stress holding elections on time

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Nechirvan Barzani, the President of the Kurdistan Region, on Sunday, received Mark Bryson Richardson, the Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Iraq, in Erbil. 

Both sides discussed the latest developments in Erbil-Baghdad negotiations, the Kurdistan Region, the upcoming elections, and the situation in Sinjar, according to a readout from the Presidency of the Kurdistan Region.

Praising the progress in resolving Erbil-Baghdad's outstanding issues, both officials stressed the importance of resolving internal political differences in the Kurdistan Region, as well as holding elections on time, the statement added.

Implementing the Sinjar agreement between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Federal Iraqi Government was also highlighted at the meeting. They reiterated the need to maintain peace and stability, as well as preventing hate speech in the region. 

Erbil and Baghdad in September 2020 struck a deal to normalize the security and administrative situation in the Yezidi-majority town, by removing the outlawed militia groups from the town and allowing the local population to take responsibility for its internal security.

Three years later, the agreement has not been implemented. Normalization has been hampered by the heavy presence of militia groups, including the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

In 2014, the ethnic community was subjected to severe atrocities, such as kidnappings, killings, and sexually enslaving thousands of Yezidi women and children by the so-called Islamic State.