Reports of President Talabani’s Death Denied

[Aslan]

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi President Jalal Talabani is alive and returning to health, his son and a party member said, reacting to rumors that the veteran leader who has been in Germany since suffering a critical stroke in December, had died.

"What some news agencies have reported about President Talabani's condition is not true and has no basis,” said Najmaddin Karim, from Talabani’s Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). “His Excellency President Talabani is in good health and shows continuous improvement day after day," he said, adding that soon he would be traveling to Germany to visit the 79-year-old leader.

Talabani’s 35-year-old son, Qubad, also denied his father had died.

Talabani is seen as a peacemaker in Iraq who holds the different ethnic groups together. Reports and rumors he had died were fueled after a rapprochement in serious rows between Baghdad and the northern autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) was agreed last month, without Talabani’s intervention.

The regional Kurdish media had reported that Talabani had died but that his PUK, one of the two partners in the KRG, was keeping the death secret in order to sort out succession issues.

Those rumors also took force after Hero Talabani, Talabani’s spouse, visited Iran last week together with an official PUK delegation, where she met with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other senior officials.

Following the visit, she told a local newspaper that she does not want the Iraqi presidency, or to succeed her husband as PUK leader. It was also after the visit that Iran’s semi-official Fars News agency reported that Talabani had awakened from a coma, but that news remained unconfirmed.

Talabani’s brother, Sheikh Jengi Talabani, had said that his brother would return to Iraq on March 10. But no photographs or video of the ailing president have been released, fueling weekly speculation over his health, and possible demise.

[Piling]

May 13, 2013

BAGHDAD,— Presidency of the General prosecution asked the Presidency of the Council of Representatives to take legal action regarding the vacancy of the office of President of the Republic.

The judicial authority in a statement today May 13, said that "The request came because of the absence of the President from office for a long time, demanding to take legal proceedings according to the Constitution."

It is worth mentioning that President Jalal Talabani is being treated in a hospital in Germany since December 20, 2012, after suffering a stroke.

There were conflicting reports about the real status of his health, it had been reported more than once that he continues to improve,www.ekurd.net and once he pronounced a few words and he could return to Iraq, but pictures or video about him have not been shown since he entered the hospital.

Copyright ©, respective author or news agency, ninanews.com

Die or alive, it is necessary to take a decision soon concerning his resignation.

[Anthea]

Me thinks they do deny far too often

While in hospital most prominent politicians have weekly or even daily press releases to keep the public informed. Given that Talabani has a following of several million people, and worldwide interest in his health and well-being, I am surprised there have not been frequent medical updates

With the Kurdish elections on the horizon it is time to plan for the future. With much regret and respect, I do not believe that Mr Talabani will ever be fit enough to return to his current role as President. As to whether or not he should formally resign, I am not entirely convinced that he should. As long as Talabani remains in his current post that fact alone will probably have a calming affect on growing tensions within Kurdistan

I have just realised where the original news item originates: National Iraqi News Agency

Had I realised this earlier I would not have taken any notice of the report, as it would be most unlike them to produce anything factual when in concerns Kurds

@ Aslan

PLEASE include link on your posting