President Barzani’s Baghdad Visit Draws Mixed Reactions from

[Aslan]

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Kurdish and Iraqi MPs express mixed reactions to whether a rare visit by Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani to Baghdad last Sunday has diluted some of the mutual animosity and distrust between the Arab central government and the autonomous northern enclave.

A multi-party delegation accompanied Barzani to discuss issues such as Article 140 that is set to solve the solve the disputed territories; the budget for Peshmarga forces, held up by Baghdad; as well as the issue of Kurdistan’s oil and gas sector which the central government often frowns upon.

Fatih Daraghayi, an Iraqi MP from the Kurdistan Islamic League (Komal), says it is too soon to judge the visit’s possible outcome.

“The major issues like Article 140, Peshmarga forces, and oil and gas are very complicated and need a long time to solve,” he says. “A visit or two will not bear any fruit in this regard. But they could lead to solving some of the minor issues and thus break the ice.”

The Kurdish delegation included representatives of all parties in parliament, except members of the opposition. Following the visit Barzani’s chief of staff, Fuad Hussein, said that the opposition was not invited because it was certain “they would have turned down the invitation,” as they have done in the past.

However, Latif Mustafa, a Kurdish MP in the Iraqi parliament from the main Change Movement (Gorran), dismisses the visit as a public relations exercise.

“The past several years have shown us that neither the Kurdish leadership nor the officials in the federal government intend to solve the issues,” he claims, charging that the Kurdish president and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki use such meetings only to bolster their own political positions.

“Barzani and Maliki do not discuss the issues between Erbil and Baghdad,” he alleges. “Now Maliki needs Barzani, and vice versa. That is because Barzani’s situation in Kurdistan is not good. Also Maliki’s popularity has declined in Iraq.”

“The issues of Article 140, oil, and Peshmarga forces are the main issues. But these issues are all set aside and ignored,” according to the opposition MP.

Bakir Hamasidiq, an MP from the Islamic Union which is also in the opposition, says that his group has been kept in the dark about details of the visit and the discussions that took place.

“We have contacted the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s (PUK) MPs, but have not gotten any information,” he says. “Therefore, we do not know what will be the results of this visit.”

Hamasidiq believes that the Iraqi prime minister and his State of Law coalition wanted to talk about Barzani taking the place of Jalal Talabani, Iraq’s ethnically Kurdish president who has been recuperating in Germany since a stroke in December.

“Some of the Iraqi parties, particularly the State of Law MPs, insist on discussing the subject of the post of the Iraqi president. On this visit they wanted to negotiate with Barzani about him assuming the post of Iraqi president,” he claimed.

But Shwan Muhammed Taha, an MP for Kurdistan’s ruling parties – the PUK and KDP who are partners in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) -– says that Barzani’s visit was meant to turn a new leaf in soured relations with all parties in Iraq.

“All the rival political parties have been distanced from each other for a long time,” he says. “President Barzani’s visit is meant to start a new chapter in relations. We clearly heard from Iraq’s parliamentary speaker pointing to president Barzani’s role in bringing the political parties closer to each other,” he said.



Comments


2 0 Polla | 8 hours ago
The visits are not so tragic like the opposition claim. Because of the visits the Pesmerge will not withdraw from Kerkuk and the KRG will not stop to build its own pipelines, this all will continue. The visits are just to calm down the situation.
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1 0 Bakir Lashkari | 8 hours ago
As the Kurdistan Region is in economic perspective growing rapidly, I believe that the Central Government in Bagdad is very much worried about the ultimate goal of establishing the Kurdish State. However despite the fact that the current Middle East Situation not suitable for the Kurds to announce the Kurdish aspiration and on the other hand the Oil Pipeline through Turkey is not ready yet to make a major move towards the proclamation of Kurdish state. On the international level this visit was a good and polite signal from Barzani to visit Bagdad and show the KRG support to AL Maliki’s position, which is not effective true. On the national level it might be a good idea that both sides thought to decrease the tensions and normalise and stay on speaking terms. This is all about the International diplomacy gesture but in fact nothing has been yet agreed upon to resolve the disputed issues between Bagdad & Arbil. To my view the speculations of Oppositions are baseless and is only their wishful thinking. I would rather consider both visits from Bagdad to Arbil and vice versa were only normalisation of both relationships and nothing concretes so far yet! There are still a number of uncertainties and trusting each other’s intentions and competences. I believe that the are no high expectations or wonders could be happen yet or no ice could be expected to be broken yet. The business and politics are still going on as usual independently from both sides. Mr Massoud Barzani accepted his extension for another two years of Presidency of Kurdistan and still no one has been appointed to be the President of Iraq yet. It is all about Go With the Flow!

[Anthea]

Good luck to Massoud Barzani

He is trying to do his best for Kurds - if the Gorran Movement are too stupid to see all the good that Massoud Barzani and Jalal Talabani have done for Kurdistan then they are complete and utter mindless brainless idiots who should not take any part in politics

Under the control of Massoud Barzani, Jalal Talabani and their parties - Kurdistan has gone from strength to strength - politically - economically - militarily - Kurdistan is fast gaining international recognition and respect