SULIMANI, Kurdistan Region – Kurdish MPs in the Iraqi parliament are meeting in Sulaimani Wednesday to discuss whether to return to Baghdad to resume their duties, following a political crisis in the Iraqi capital after huge crowds stormed the parliament building less than a fortnight ago.
Adel Nouri, a Kurdish lawmaker in the Iraqi parliament, told Rudaw that the Kurdish MPs will discuss the security and political issues in Baghdad, but will need more time to take a final decision about returning to the Iraqi capital.
“The meeting is to discuss the current situation in Iraq and assess the interests of the Kurds,” said Nouri, who left Baghdad along with other Kurdish lawmakers after thousands of protesters stormed the parliament building on April 30.
He said that MPs from the parliament’s Shiite faction also remain double-minded about returning to the legislature.
“We have lots of unresolved problems with Baghdad,” Nouri said. “Over the past 20 months the Iraqi parliament has done nothing for the Kurds.”
Nouri accused Abadi of trying for a “coup” to change Iraq from a parliamentary to a presidential system. “A presidential system is not in the interests of Kurds,” he declared.
A number of Iraqi lawmakers resumed their work on Tuesday, a week after angry protesters stormed the parliament building in Baghdad and forced many MPs to flee the capital.
The large-scale protests in Baghdad by loyalists of Muqtada al-Sadr ignited after the Shiite cleric announced he could “destroy” Abadi’s government, accusing it of stalling on reforms that include a demand to throw out corrupt ministers and announce a new government of technocrats.
Adel Nouri, a Kurdish lawmaker in the Iraqi parliament, told Rudaw that the Kurdish MPs will discuss the security and political issues in Baghdad, but will need more time to take a final decision about returning to the Iraqi capital.
“The meeting is to discuss the current situation in Iraq and assess the interests of the Kurds,” said Nouri, who left Baghdad along with other Kurdish lawmakers after thousands of protesters stormed the parliament building on April 30.
He said that MPs from the parliament’s Shiite faction also remain double-minded about returning to the legislature.
“We have lots of unresolved problems with Baghdad,” Nouri said. “Over the past 20 months the Iraqi parliament has done nothing for the Kurds.”
Nouri accused Abadi of trying for a “coup” to change Iraq from a parliamentary to a presidential system. “A presidential system is not in the interests of Kurds,” he declared.
A number of Iraqi lawmakers resumed their work on Tuesday, a week after angry protesters stormed the parliament building in Baghdad and forced many MPs to flee the capital.
The large-scale protests in Baghdad by loyalists of Muqtada al-Sadr ignited after the Shiite cleric announced he could “destroy” Abadi’s government, accusing it of stalling on reforms that include a demand to throw out corrupt ministers and announce a new government of technocrats.
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment