MESOP: ON TEHRAN’S ORDER GOING TO BAGHDAD – Kurdish parties in Iraqi Kurdistan concerned over PUK-Gorran visit to Baghdad

4 July 2016 – nrttv – MESOP  – SULAIMANI, Kurdistan region ‘Iraq’,— A reconciliatory coalition between two of Iraqi Kurdistan Region’s political parties has sparked suspicion and concern among other factions in the regional government after a joint Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and Change Movement (Gorran) delegation met recently with Iraqi officials in Baghdad.

That visit has concerned members of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) who say the new PUK-Gorran partnership has disrupted an established coalition of Kurdish representatives in the Iraqi government.The head of the KDP’s bloc in the Iraqi Parliament, Khasraw Goran, told NRT on Sunday that members of other parties – the Kurdistan Islamic Group (KIG) and Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) – did not support the delegation’s meeting in Baghdad.

“The visit was a bad idea to me because they discussed many issues that those blocs should not have discussed,” Goran said.

The head of the KIG’s bloc, Ahmed Haji Rashid, told NRT his party is not concerned with the PUK-Gorran visit to the Iraqi capital, adding that both parties are free to visit officials in Baghdad.“The head of the KDP bloc can be spokesman of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, but cannot be the KIG’s spokesman,” Rashid continued. “No force can prevent the parties from clarifying their stance for others.”

The head of the KIU bloc Musana Amin however told NRT that the PUK-Gorran delegation’s visit would be detrimental if a potential Kurdish referendum and oil exports to Baghdad were discussed.“If the visit was to introduce the joint coalition, it would be normal,” Amin noted, suggesting the five Kurdish parties in the Iraqi Parliament also hold meetings. The PUK-Gorran delegations set off for Baghdad on June 25 to meet with Iraqi authorities and explain the bilateral agreement finalized between the parties in May.Representatives met with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi the same day and Gorran member Hoshyar Abdullah said the delegation explained the two parties intend to solve issues in the interest of Kurds and Iraqis through dialogue. www.mesop.de