ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—Kurdish president Masoud Barzani has sent his special envoy on rounds of talks with political parties in an effort to unlock a political stalemate that has gripped the region for almost a year.
The presidential envoy, Dr. Fuad Hussein started his tour in Sulaimani city and the highlight of his meetings was with the leader of the Change Movement (Gorran) Nawshirwan Mustafa.
Hemin Hawrami, member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leadership council and head of its foreign relations department told Rudaw that the president’s envoy visited those other political groups with a new and very clear message.
“The message is: the KDP seeks normalization of the situation, how to deal with Baghdad over the future of Kurdistan and preparing the ground for referendum,” Hawrami said.
Hawrami added that his party is taking into account the big changes sweeping the Middle East and believes that the Kurds must be ready to seize the moment.
Gorran leaders however have different expectations from the KDP and want other topics discussed and resolved in the meetings than just the question of independence referendum.
Chief among Gorran’s standpoints is the need to resume the parliament and decide the post of its speaker who was sent home last October following a dispute between the KDP and Gorran.
But according to Hawrami, the issue of parliament is on the agenda, too.
“If all parties come forward and an inclusive gathering is held then the question of parliament will be raised and a solution found,” he said.
In addition to the Gorran leader Barzani’s envoy has also met with leaders of the Islamic League (Komal) and Islamic Union (Yekgirtu).
A Gorran official said that his party has no specific proposal to preset at this stage and would rather study what Hussein, Barzani’s envoy delivered during his visits as recommended solutions for the deadlock.
Gorran’s partners in the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) believe that many such efforts have been made in the past to no avail and that the envoy had better have something new to present this time.
“For almost a year messages have come and gone, meetings held, diplomatic efforts made but all in vain,” PUK leadership member Farid Asasard told Rudaw. “So, if Fuad Hussein does not have a new message this time, we will get nowhere.”
One KDP recommendation to get around the parliament deadlock is for the PUK to hold the post of the speaker of parliament, a post that was Gorran’s until last October.
For his part, Asasard, whose PUK signed an alliance with Gorran in May, said that they can discuss the suggestion and later run it by Gorran.
Asasard added that the resumption of the parliament alone will not solve everything, a sentiment echoed by his Gorran partners.
A Gorran leader who did not want to be named told Rudaw that a range of other issues must be raised and solved, such as: the post of the president and his powers, the parliament, oil and transparency in the energy sector and the region’s finances.
“But here and there we get messages from the KDP that after the referendum Barzani will not stay as president a day longer,” the Gorran official said.
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