KDP, PUK: Kurdistan’s high-level committee to oversee process of referendum

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The political bureaus of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) on Tuesday met to evaluate last week’s meetings over an independence referendum.

The KDP and PUK meeting, chaired by the Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani, was held at the PUK headquarters in Erbil.

According to a joint statement by both political bureaus, the meeting evaluated the three separate delegations who met with the Iraqi political parties, diplomats, and consuls of the foreign countries in the Kurdistan Region regarding the independence referendum.

“A joint high-level committee of all the political parties and nationalities of Kurdistan will be formed to hold dialogue with the Iraqi parties…regarding the referendum,” the statement read.

The report also mentioned the “demands and disputes between both sides” would be addressed.

During the meeting, the members decided they would take the necessary steps to form a high-level committee which oversees the process of the referendum.

Moreover, the committee would be responsible for preparing the requirements of the referendum process.

The members also discussed all the internal issues in the Kurdistan Region and emphasized on concentrating all efforts to find mechanisms in resolving the matters, according to the statement.

They also called upon the families of the martyrs and Peshmerga forces, political parties, local NGOs, media agencies, and all components of Kurdistan to support the process of holding the referendum.

Meanwhile, on Monday, the Turkmen and Christian parties in the Kurdistan Region, following meetings with the KDP and PUK delegation, expressed support for an independence referendum in 2017.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany