MESOP INSIDE : Political parties in Iraqi Kurdistan divided over government’s annulation

Nrttv.com 22 Nov 2016 – SULAIMANI, Iraq’s Kurdistan region,— The Kurdish political parties remain divided over the possible annulation of Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).While some parties wish the KRG to be annulled immediately, others believe that although the cancellation could be easy, the formation of any political entity in its wake could take more time and are therefore more cautious.Pshtiwan Sadiq, a member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leadership, told NRT on Monday (November 21) that the earlier statement by Masoud Barzani, the leader of the KDP, should be fulfilled in its entirety.

“Because a political issue has been created, it is necessary that a new presidency staff are chosen for parliament and it is also necessary that a new government cabinet is chosen with a new agreement [among the parties],” Sadiq added.

Within some Kurdish political circles there is the stanch belief that the Kurdistan Region’s three presidencies, the Kurdistan Region’s Presidency, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), and the Kurdistan Parliament, are now under question as the Kurdistan Parliament has been deactivated, the region’s presidency has no legal support, and the KRG has failed in carrying out governmental tasks, particularly in regards to the economy.

The Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) expressed support for a new government cabinet in a statement released on Monday.

A member of the KIU Leadership, Abubakir Haladni, told NRT that a new government should be formed after the parliament is reactivated.

“Now, the government has lost its legal legitimacy as the parliament does not monitor the government,” Haladni noted. “A new government should be established until election day, and that government should be according to the results of the election [in 2013] and the parties’ agreement.”

“Who would participate in the government if it was annulled? Would the KIG, Change Movement or KIU be participating in the government?” Salim Koiy, the Kurdistan Islamic Group (KIG) leadership member, said to NRT when reached for a statement.

Besides the parliament’s session to annul the KRG, the Prime Minister, Nechirvan Barzani, can annul the government by resignation in accordance with the first line of Article 11 of the KRG Council of Ministers.

On November 20, Kurdistan Parliament Speaker Yusuf Mohammed Sadiq also called for the KRG’s cancellation, saying a Kurdish government should be formed which is responsible for the people of the Kurdistan Region.

More than a year has passed since the beginning of the political crisis in the Kurdistan Region and the political parties have no new solution except for statements through the media.

The Kurdistan Region’s political crisis escalated in 2015 after Massoud Barzani’s term as Kurdistan President ended on August 20, 2015 but refused to step down and remains unofficially in office. According to the law, Barzani cannot run for presidency anymore and his term cannot be extended. But Barzani said in March 2016 “I will not leave power until Kurdistan get statehood”.

Following nine rounds of failed talks, demonstrations erupted across eastern parts of the region, during which, angry protesters set fire to a number of KDP offices.

Since October 2015 the Kurdistan parliament parliament has been in recess after Speaker Sadiq was prevented from entering Erbil city on October 12, 2015 and Kurdistan PM Nechirvan Barzani has removed four members of his cabinet from the Change Movement and were replaced with KDP politicians.

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