KURDISTAN IS NOT IRAQ (or TURKEY or SYRIA)

[Anthea]

Gorran rejects project agreed upon by KDP and PUK

Gorran Movement Advisory Board met in Sulaymaniyah today to discuss the project proposed by the KDP and PUK on the activisation of the parliament.

Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) met yesterday with the agenda to activate the parliament.

In the statement made after the meeting, the parties said they agreed on reopening the parliament with Dr. Yusif Mihemed as the chairperson, and electing a new chairperson in the second session.

The Gorran Movement met today to discuss the issue. After the meeting, Goran Movement Spokesperson Şoreş Hecî stated that the parliament needs to reopen with the elected presidential council in order to resolve the political and economical crises in Southern Kurdistan.

Hecî said: “The main problem preventing the activation of the parliament is not the change of chairperson. The main problem is that the regional presidential term is up.”

Hecî stated that they won’t accept the reactivation of the parliament without arrangements being made in the financial and administrative areas and an administrative system change.

The regional presidential elections should have been held on August 20, 2015 but a political crisis broke out among political parties in Southern Kurdistan when it didn’t happen. On October 2015, parliamentary activity was suspended when the parliamentary chairperson from the Gorran Movement Yusuf Muhammed was not allowed to enter Hewlêr by the KDP security forces. KDP later removed 5 Gorran ministers in the cabinet from office.

The Gorran have ALWAYS nothing but a bunch of idiot trouble makers

[Anthea]

KDP hopeful to have Gorran participation in reactivated parliament
Personally: I think the Kurdish Parliament is far better without the trouble making Gorran

A high-ranking Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) official said on Saturday they are doing their outmost to reactivate the Kurdistan parliament with the participation of the Change Movement (Gorran) which has been at odds with the KDP on two issues: the mechanism of calling a referendum on independence and amendment of the presidential law.

“We will try our best to include Gorran in reopening the parliament,” Fazil Mirani, secretary of the KDP politburo, told Rudaw.

Mirani said their party’s door is open for talks on the heated questions the Region is busy with, including the referendum, presidential and parliamentary elections, and the reopening of the parliament which has been closed since October 2015.

“We will not close our doors on anyone and do not like anyone who does,” Mirani said in Koye town, eastern Erbil province.

The Change Movement (Gorran), which holds the position of the speaker of parliament, has already refused a joint offer from the KDP and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) to reactivate the parliament, insisting that it does not accept "conditional" terms attached to the initiative, Gorran spokesperson Shorish Haji has said in a televised statement on Wednesday.

Mirani said they understand the situation of Gorran who are mourning their founder and leader Nawshirwan Mustafa who died in Sulaimani on May 19.

He called for all parties to show tolerance and acceptance with each other.

Commenting on a joint committee which is in the process of being formed from all Kurdish parties, Mirani said they hope Gorran will appoint its delegate to the committee tasked with visiting neighboring and world countries to discuss the referendum.

Gorran, which has 24 seats in the parliament, turned down Kurdish President Masoud Barzani’s call to attend a “historical” all-party meeting earlier this month at which the referendum date was set.

The Kurdistan Islamic Group (Komal), which has 6 seats in the parliament, also declined to attend the meeting.

“We are trying to talk to them, too,” Mirani said, in reference to the Komal party.

The decision to reactivate the parliament that has not convened since October 2015 was made in a high-level meeting between the two main ruling parties, the KDP and the PUK, and remains the only initiative the KDP has on the issue, Mirani confirmed.

Their plan to reactive the parliament was for Gorran Speaker Yousif Mohammed to lead the first session to be followed by his resignation and that of his entire team in the second session.

The proposal came as many parties have said they believe the Kurdistan Region’s referendum on independence, scheduled for September 25, should be dealt with through the parliament, not at the political party level.

“The Gorran Movement declare that since October 12, 2015 we have emphasized that... the parliament with its current elected presidency team should return to its work,” Gorran's Haji said in the televised statement, adding that a functioning legislature would solve the legal and political crisis and the ongoing financial crisis that has plagued the Kurdistan Region since early 2014.

“Any other mechanism to normalize the situation through the conditional reactivation of parliament is not acceptable to us, because the reason behind paralyzing the Kurdistan parliament is not its presidency, but the expiring of the Kurdistan Region Presidency’s term in office and the parliament’s attempt to amend the law of the [Kurdistan] Region’s presidency,” he continued.

Relations between the KDP and Gorran deteriorated in October 2015 when the KDP sacked Gorran ministers and its speaker of parliament who took office after a deal with the KDP following the 2013 elections.

The KDP accused Gorran of orchestrating riots against its offices in several cities. Gorran denied the accusations.

Tensions between the two parties have also remained strained when the speaker refused to cancel a parliamentary session in 2015 planned to discuss President Masoud Barzani's second-term in office which was due to expire on August 19 that year.

Speaker Mohammed is not allowed to run for the speaker of the parliament when a new one is elected, Rudaw has learned from sources, a condition set by the KDP.

One other issue between the KDP and Gorran is the system of governance, with the KDP calling for a presidential system, while Gorran calls for a parliamentary one.

http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/170620176

[Anthea]

UN Iraq chief: Baghdad and Erbil need understanding before holding Kurdistan independence referendum
Reporting by: Wladimir van Wilgenburg



The Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), Ján Kubiš, on Monday called on the Iraqi government and the Kurdish government to enter into negotiations to prevent conflict before the Kurds hold independence referendum on 25th of September.

“On 11 July, President Barzani reiterated, during his address to the European Parliament in Brussels, the KR-I’s determination to hold the referendum as planned, while maintaining that no country had clearly opposed it. It is important to note that the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and the Change Movement (Gorran) have demanded that the regional parliament of Kurdistan should be reactivated before the referendum,” Kubiš said.

“Such an important issue ought not to be pursued without understanding between the federal government and that of the Kurdistan Regional Government,” he said in a briefing in the Security Council.

“I, therefore, urge both parties to enter into negotiations without further delay, in the spirit of genuine partnership and based on the Constitution, to urgently find common ground and a roadmap to address this and other critical topics, notably implementation of Article 140 of the Constitution on disputed territories, including the status of Kirkuk, budgetary issues, oil and revenue sharing, and other areas and principles that determine the relations between the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government,” the UNAMI chief said.

“The absence of meaningful political dialogue could turn a conflict of interests into a different kind of conflict. Prime Minister Abadi’s and President’s Barzani call for dialogue, should be followed by meetings of negotiation teams as a matter of urgency,” Kubiš added.

Moreover, the UN Iraq chief called on the Iraqi Kurds to reactivate the parliament which has been inactive since disputes broke out between Kurdish parties in October 2015.

“In regards to internal politics in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, I further urge as a matter of priority, the reactivation of a functional democratic administration, notably the regional parliament as the primary democratic institution to ensure unity and the functioning of democracy in the region,” he said.

“The reopening of the regional parliament, which has been inactive since October 2015, should be based on the principles of democracy and inclusiveness, without preconditions,” he concluded.

http://aranews.net/2017/07/un-iraq-chie ... eferendum/

I think that if they Kurdistan threw the Gorran out Kurds would be be much happier and far more united

At a time such as this, when the Kurdistan Regional Government is responsible for protecting Kurdistan from ISIS, remove ISIS from it's borders and helping to remove ISIS from other areas it invaded, the last thing KRG needs is the Gorran causing trouble

There is no doubt that the Kurdish Peshmerga, in conjunction with other Kurdish groups, has done an excellent job in the struggle against ISIS

The Peshmerga has lost of several THOUSAND lives and the whole of Kurdistan should unite to support them and an Independent Kurdistan

[Anthea]

Barzani: Gone are the days when Iraqis can use threatening language

Kurdistan President Masoud Barzani says Erbil will not accept “threatening” language used by some Iraqi leaders, vowing to hold the independence referendum on time as Baghdad has failed on many occasions to adhere to the spirit of the Iraqi constitution.

Barzani issued a written statement on Wednesday responding to Iraqi politicians and officials who have called the referendum “unconstitutional.”

“That era is over for them to oppose the just right of the nation of Kurdistan and we would not like them make use of this language,” Barzani said. “The nation of Kurdistan wants peace and brotherhood, but it does not accept threatening language or denial from anyone.”

The statement did not name any Iraqis Barzani was referring to, but Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi reiterated in a speech on Tuesday that the referendum is not constitutional.

He also suggested that any change to the official borders of the Middle East, that mainly came to existence after the First World War denying the Kurds their own state, will result in “blood and casualties.”

Barzani said that those who question the legitimacy of the referendum should first read the charter. He said that the Iraqi constitution clearly stipulates that adherence to the constitution is the guarantor of the unity of Iraq.

The preface of the Iraqi constitution reads: The adherence to this constitution preserves for Iraq its free union, its people, its land and its sovereignty.

Barzani then listed a number of constitutional articles that the he said remained unimplemented or were violated. Chief among them was Article 140 that concerns the disputed, or Kurdistani, areas claimed both by Erbil and Baghdad. The article should have been implemented by 2007.

He also mentioned the budget cut by the Iraqi government since early 2014, lack of payments of the defence budget to the Kurdish Peshmerga since the foundation of the new Iraq in 2003, attempts to isolate the Kurdish government on a diplomatic level, and failure to form the Federal Council whose mission should have been to regulate between Baghdad and the regional government.

Barzani said that the Kurdish government did not see any Iraqi party or religious authority condemn the violations committed against the Kurds by the Iraqi government contrary to the constitution.

“On the other hand, for the sake of partnership between the components, Iraq needed consensus, but they also dissolved that consensus and now they are calling for a political majority, and we know very well what they mean by the political majority. It is in fact to diminish partnership and marginalize other main components,” his statement explained, making reference to an initiative championed by the ruling Shiite National Alliance that calls for ruling Iraq on the basis of a majority vote.

The Shiites are the majority in Iraq and every prime minister since the US-led invasion of Iraq about 14 years ago has been a Shiite politician.

“We are bound to the blood of our martyrs, the public opinion, and the just rights of our nation. That is why we do not step back from this right of ours. The nation of Kurdistan would practice its natural right through peace and away from violence,” Barzani said.

He added that they do not want to repeat bitter experiences Kurds shared with the rest of Iraq for about 100 years since the foundation of the country, including genocide committed against the Kurdish nation.

He repeated the official line that Erbil wants to be a good neighbour with Iraq.

PM Abadi on Tuesday called the referendum unconstitutional.

“A few months ago, I stressed on two or three occasions that this referendum is not constitutional. If you look at the Iraqi constitution, it is clear that we live in one homeland and are partners in this homeland. No unilateral action should be taken,” Abadi said.

While he admitted that the Kurds had faced suffering at the hands of the former Iraqi government led by Saddam Hussein, Abadi said that the new Iraq is different today and Kurds are now first-class citizens.

http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/190720175

[Anthea]

KDP says they have a mutual understanding with PUK after meeting

The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) described its meeting with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) as “good,” adding that it was briefed on the PUK’s recent meetings with Iranian officials, and re-iterating that it has no conditions for Gorran ahead of this fall’s independence referendum.

“It was a good meeting and there was very good understanding between both sides. Their purpose in the meeting was to first explain their meeting in Iran with four of the figures within the Iranian authority,” Mahmood Mohammed, the spokesperson of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) told Rudaw.

The Change Movement (Gorran), which holds the second-most seats in the Kurdish parliament and is yet to name a member to the referendum committee, has said it is waiting until after it selects new leadership to negotiate with KDP over remaining disputes ahead of the September 25 vote.

“Let us see what Gorran does have after we agreed for the parliament to resume its work unconditionally. As we do not have conditions, other parties should not have any conditions and the works continue to proceed as we have a very important national and patriotic project ahead which is referendum,” Mohammed added.

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PUK-KDP in meeting to assess Tehran’s stance to Kurdish referendum

The two main ruling parties of the Kurdistan Region met in Erbil mainly to discuss Tehran’s opposition to the planned Kurdish referendum less than three months from now, the reactivation of the suspended parliament and preparations for the vote.

A senior Kurdish official described the meeting between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) as important whose mission is to “assess” the official response from Iran with regard to the referendum set for September 25.

Hemin Hawrami, an assistant to the Kurdish president Masoud Barzani has also said that the meeting will discuss the fate of the suspended parliament, especially after the KDP offered to reactivate the institution without any preconditions.

Hawrami also said that the meeting would reconfirm holding the referendum “on time.”

The PUK made a visit to Iran, at the request of the Islamic republic, on Monday with the focus on the referendum, strongly opposed by Kurdistan’s eastern neighbour.

Iran had warned the visiting delegation that Erbil should not expect “good things” coming from Tehran if the Kurdish Region remained adamant to hold the referendum.

The PUK delegation revealed that they had told the Iranians that they remain committed to the Kurdish right to self-determination, one of the core slogans of the party since its foundation.

The KDP had expressed their concerns regarding the PUK visit to Iran, but noted that the PUK remains committed to the referendum.

KDP senior official and a member of the newly-founded High Referendum Council, Hoshyar Zebari, told Rudaw Saturday that except for Iran, no other country has directly opposed the Kurdish bid for statehood.

“We have not seen any country, except for Iran, to directly and with determination oppose the principle of referendum,” Zebari said, adding that the right to self-determination is enshrined in the international principles and law, and therefore must be respected.

Zebari said other countries have expressed their opposition to the timing, or the mechanism of the referendum, but none has opposed the process.

He said that the September 25 is set on stone.

“We are determined to conduct the referendum on September 25,” Zebari said, maintaining that there will be no postponement.

The PUK and the KDP, who share a strategic alliance for about a decade and have practically ruled the Kurdistan region since its foundation after the first Gulf War of 1991, along with Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) and a number of smaller parties decided in June to hold the referendum on September 25.

The PUK has said that they will visit the Kurdish parties, mainly the KDP and Gorran, Kurdistan’s second-biggest party, to discuss their visit to Iran.

The PUK and Gorran also signed an alliance agreement last year in May, but most of the terms are yet to be implemented.

Gorran and the Kurdistan Islamic Group (Komal), two parties who are officially members of the coalition Government of the Kurdistan Region have refused so far to attend any meeting related to the referendum. They say that the Kurdish parliament should first be reopened first so that it can pass a law in order to officially call for the referendum.

The KDP last week dropped its precondition it had set for the parliament reactivation, saying that they are open to welcome back the parliament speaker Yousif Mohammed, a Gorran member, to return to his office in Erbil.

Gorran is busy meanwhile with its internal elections following the death of its leader and founder Nawshirwan Mustafa who died this May after a long battle with Cancer.

The party has already said that they are going to officially respond to the KDP’s offer after it elects a new leader on Tuesday.

The KDP has closed the the Kurdish parliament since October 2015 as tensions went high following deadly tensions between the two sides which resulted in several casualties caused by violent riots.

The joint leadership of the PUK and Gorran are also to meet today in Sulaimani.

http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/23072017