'Marginalizing Kurds a threat to Iraq'

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – Political parties in the Kurdistan Region say that Iraq is going through a menacing phase and hiding the political crisis will not help resolve the issues.

Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), Kurdistan Patriotic Union (PUK), Kurdistan Islamic Union and Kurdistan Islamic Group held a meeting in the city of Sulaimani on Monday to discuss the current developments in Iraq and the formation of a new "technocrat cabinet" by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.

The four parties released a statement at the end of the meeting agreeing that “Iraq is going through a dangerous phase.”

The report added, “There have been attempts to hide the tensions in Iraq and to end the coexistence in the country under the pretext of the formation of a technocrat cabinet. This is an effort to marginalize people of Kurdistan, Turkmens and other ethnic groups in Iraq.”

“Marginalizing the Kurds and other minorities is a threat to the political and constitutional peace process in Iraq,” the statement said.

According to the Kurdish parties, a resolution for the current issues in Iraq and the disputes between Erbil and Baghdad is impossible.

Another point that the parties agreed upon was “resuming official talks with Baghdad on all aspects.”

The parties urged the Iraqi government to pay the agreed 17 percent share of all the loans Iraq has received from international banks and allies to the Kurdistan Region. “The Kurdistan Region faces an economic crisis the same way the Iraqi government does,” the statement continued.

In a press conference on March 26, Abadi stated that he will announce the cabinet reshuffle this week. The Iraqi parliament decided that Thursday would be the deadline for Abadi to present his cabinet to the Council of Representatives.

Also on March 26, Shia cleric leader Muqtada al-Sadr recommended three Kurds for ministerial positions in the new technocrat cabinet without the consent of Kurdish representatives in the Iraqi parliament.

The five primary Kurdish parties that have representatives in the Iraqi parliament gathered before the meeting with Iraqi Parliament Speaker Saleem al-Jibouri on March 27. A press conference was held in Baghdad announcing that they had reached an agreement.

The Kurdish political parties stated that if the Kurdistan Region's demands are not met in the new cabinet, they will consider withdrawing from the political process.

Reporting by Baxtiyar Goran
Editing by Ava Homa and Karzan Sulaivany