Nechirvan Barzani favors Abadi’s call to quickly resolve election issues
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Nechirvan Barzani, deputy head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, supports Haider al-Abadi’s invitation for all parties to hold a high level meeting following Eid al-Fitr to speed up the formation of a new government in line with the constitution.
Barzani is also the Kurdistan Regional Government’s prime minister. He said that they are looking forward to holding talks after Eid, and the people of Kurdistan support any effort to rescue Iraq from the crisis that threatens its political landscape.
“The initiative of the Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, if its aim is for this course of action and leads to serious discussions for forming a broad coalition… is welcome,” he added.
“The Party supports any step or initiative that seeks to rescue Iraq from the unstable political conditions, and resuming work on the principle of constitution and resorting to laws to resolve issues,” read a statement from his office on Friday.
Barzani is also the Kurdistan Regional Government’s prime minister. He said that they are looking forward to holding talks after Eid, and the people of Kurdistan support any effort to rescue Iraq from the crisis that threatens its political landscape.
“The initiative of the Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, if its aim is for this course of action and leads to serious discussions for forming a broad coalition… is welcome,” he added.
Party head Masoud Barzani echoed Nechirvan's remarks, further stressing the constitution.
"We support any responsible and attentive attempt that would be presented forth to resolve the current stagnant crisis of Iraq, especially the constitutional resolution of the relations between the Region and Baghdad," stated Masoud Barzani on Friday.
More than 2 million Iraqis remain displaced. Parliament wants to annul their votes in the election, and the KDP opted not to field candidates in what it described as an "occupied" Kirkuk.
"We hope for all political parties to participate in a constructive dialogue to reach a peaceful and suitable resolution in the interest of all the peoples of Iraq on the basis of implementing the constitution," added Masoud Barzani
On Thursday, Abadi admitted that there were problems with the parliamentary election on May 12. Its results are currently contested. Parliament mandated a nationwide manual recount of votes, while some have called for a re-vote.
“Despite the violations and irregularities that tainted the election, following legal methods, obeying the law and the constitution, is the only way to solve these problems and move towards forming a new parliament and a government,” said Abadi in taped video statement.
Abadi opposes a repeat election and supports the work of Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission, in which nine commissioners have been replaced by appointed judges.
The incumbent Iraqi premier is a member of the Dawa Party, but ran separately from its head and previous two-term PM Nouri al-Maliki. Abadi’s Nasr (Victory) Coalition finished third with 42 seats. Abadi fielded lists in most Iraqi provinces including three in the Kurdistan Region; however, none of his candidates there won.
The two largest parties from the Kurdistan Region, the KDP and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), ran candidates on party lists in just six provinces, where they accumulated 25 and 18 seats, respectively.
Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s list took 54 seats, but he himself did not run, so he cannot serve in parliament or as prime minister.
Things took on a new course when Sadr announced an alliance with the Fatih (headed by Hadi al-Amiri) coalition this, after he previously had agreed for an alliance with Hikma and Nasr coalition.
The KDP and PUK jointly have announced that they see the Sadr-Amiri alliance as “positive” and “the start of a political roadmap to put an end to the political deadlock.”
“At the moment, we don’t want to become part of any alliance without having a clear idea of the alliance’s agenda for the participation of other lists and the protection of the rights of all the communities, especially the rights of the Kurdistan nation and the Kurdistan Region, as enshrined in the Iraqi constitution,” Barzani stated on Tuesday.
"We support any responsible and attentive attempt that would be presented forth to resolve the current stagnant crisis of Iraq, especially the constitutional resolution of the relations between the Region and Baghdad," stated Masoud Barzani on Friday.
More than 2 million Iraqis remain displaced. Parliament wants to annul their votes in the election, and the KDP opted not to field candidates in what it described as an "occupied" Kirkuk.
"We hope for all political parties to participate in a constructive dialogue to reach a peaceful and suitable resolution in the interest of all the peoples of Iraq on the basis of implementing the constitution," added Masoud Barzani
“Despite the violations and irregularities that tainted the election, following legal methods, obeying the law and the constitution, is the only way to solve these problems and move towards forming a new parliament and a government,” said Abadi in taped video statement.
Abadi opposes a repeat election and supports the work of Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission, in which nine commissioners have been replaced by appointed judges.
"I invite all political blocs to hold a high level meeting directly following the Eid break and at a location determined later through consultation to put our hands in each other’s for the sake of protecting the homeland and the citizens and ensuring the integrity of the political process and the democratic achievements and agreeing on specified mechanisms to speed up the formation of constitutional institutions in the best possible way and dependent on our national decision and the interests of our country and people,” he added.
The incumbent Iraqi premier is a member of the Dawa Party, but ran separately from its head and previous two-term PM Nouri al-Maliki. Abadi’s Nasr (Victory) Coalition finished third with 42 seats. Abadi fielded lists in most Iraqi provinces including three in the Kurdistan Region; however, none of his candidates there won.
The two largest parties from the Kurdistan Region, the KDP and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), ran candidates on party lists in just six provinces, where they accumulated 25 and 18 seats, respectively.
Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s list took 54 seats, but he himself did not run, so he cannot serve in parliament or as prime minister.
Things took on a new course when Sadr announced an alliance with the Fatih (headed by Hadi al-Amiri) coalition this, after he previously had agreed for an alliance with Hikma and Nasr coalition.
The KDP and PUK jointly have announced that they see the Sadr-Amiri alliance as “positive” and “the start of a political roadmap to put an end to the political deadlock.”
“At the moment, we don’t want to become part of any alliance without having a clear idea of the alliance’s agenda for the participation of other lists and the protection of the rights of all the communities, especially the rights of the Kurdistan nation and the Kurdistan Region, as enshrined in the Iraqi constitution,” Barzani stated on Tuesday.
Eid al-Fitr began on Thursday in the Kurdistan Region with official holidays extending until Monday.