Barzani’s decision for referendum results in independency

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – An American scholar stated that the Iraqi leaders have rendered the country into a failed state; therefore, it is important for the international community to adopt "a reality based" approach.

David L. Phillips, Director of the Program on Peace-building and Rights at Columbia University’s Institute for the Study of Human Rights, was one of the speakers at a conference held in Washington, DC, called Co-Existence through Democratic Autonomy and Self-Governance: The Kurdish Case on Friday.

During his speech, Phillips discussed several important issues including the upcoming Kurdish referendum. "The referendum the Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani has proposed will culminate in a declaration of independency," he stated.

"After the referendum, I propose that within one year the [Kurdistan Regional Government] negotiate divorce with Baghdad," Phillips added.

The event was organized by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Representative Office in the US and the Kurdish Policy Research Center (KPRC).

Several other keynote speakers and guests included Salih Muslim, the Co-Chairman of the Democratic Union Party, who spoke live through a videofeed, and Selahattin Demirtas, Co-Chair of the HDP.

Reporting by Baxtiyar Goran
Editing by Karzan Sulaivany
(Kurdistan24 team contributed in this report in Washington)