ERBIL, Kurdistan Region— The Kurdistan Region will go ahead with its much-talked about public vote on independence this year and there will be no turning back, the head of the country’s influential Security Council Masrour Barzani said Wednesday denouncing what he called efforts that want to delay the vote, tentatively planned for the end of 2017.
“We will not listen to those who find pretexts in order for the referendum not to take place. We won’t listen to them as there is no turning back and no second thoughts,” Barzani said in a defying speech at a youth gathering in Erbil Wednesday.
“The process towards independence has already begun. We are currently taking steps toward it and God willing, I am assured that we will arrive there in a short period. The referendum will be held this year according to what has been discussed and planned,” he added.
Barzani’s remarks were seen as response to earlier statements from other Kurdish factions which have demanded the reactivation of the regional parliament before holding the referendum.
The opposition Gorran Movement (Change) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) have stated that they will support the vote after the reactivation of the parliament which has been shut down since October 2015 after heated disagreements between Gorran and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) effectively dismantled a power-sharing deal between the two rivalling parties.
The KDP has rejected to support the ousted Speaker Yousif Muhammd whose return to office is one of the main preconditions presented by Gorran to take part in the referendum.
The KDP has in the past accused Muhammad, a leading Gorran member, of impartiality.
“A new presidency should be elected for the parliament, but the parliament should not become a partisan tool and come in the way of national issues, we think the parliament should serve this purpose,” Barzani said referring to the referendum.
Barzani’s Wednesday remarks reaffirmed earlier statements from top Kurdish officials including the region’s president and premier about the referendum which is most likely to take place before the end of this year.
“We will not listen to those who find pretexts in order for the referendum not to take place. We won’t listen to them as there is no turning back and no second thoughts,” Barzani said in a defying speech at a youth gathering in Erbil Wednesday.
“The process towards independence has already begun. We are currently taking steps toward it and God willing, I am assured that we will arrive there in a short period. The referendum will be held this year according to what has been discussed and planned,” he added.
Barzani’s remarks were seen as response to earlier statements from other Kurdish factions which have demanded the reactivation of the regional parliament before holding the referendum.
The opposition Gorran Movement (Change) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) have stated that they will support the vote after the reactivation of the parliament which has been shut down since October 2015 after heated disagreements between Gorran and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) effectively dismantled a power-sharing deal between the two rivalling parties.
The KDP has rejected to support the ousted Speaker Yousif Muhammd whose return to office is one of the main preconditions presented by Gorran to take part in the referendum.
The KDP has in the past accused Muhammad, a leading Gorran member, of impartiality.
“A new presidency should be elected for the parliament, but the parliament should not become a partisan tool and come in the way of national issues, we think the parliament should serve this purpose,” Barzani said referring to the referendum.
Barzani’s Wednesday remarks reaffirmed earlier statements from top Kurdish officials including the region’s president and premier about the referendum which is most likely to take place before the end of this year.
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