Barzani: We Have International Support for Independence / THE MOST DECIIVE MOMENT IN KURDISH HISTORY

03.07.2014 – Hoshmand Sadiq – BasNews, Erbil – On Thursday, Kurdistan Regional President Massoud Barzani read his statement in Parliament where he asked them to make preparations for holding a referendum regarding Kurdish independence.

’In his statement, Barzani discussed Article 140 and stated that it has been finished and is already being implemented. Kurdish Peshmerga forces will remian in the disputed region and won’t withdraw,’ said Gorran MP Roza Osman to BasNews.Observers within the Kurdistan Region as well as Kurds abroad have been avidly awaiting Barzani’s statement about holding referendum in regards to independence. This referendum might split the Kurdistan Region from Baghdad; an example seen by South Sudan’s split from Khartoum, Sudan.Osman stated that Barzani asked the Kurdistan Parliament to make preparations for holding a general referendum for gaining independence.

According to information obtained by BasNews, Barzani pointed out in his speech that: ’Six months ago I told [Iraqi PM] Maliki that militants were training in the west of Mosul in Nineveh province, but he neglected it, and the current situation is due to the failures of Maliki’s politics.’Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) MP Farhan Jawhar gave BasNews his views on Barzani’s speech in Parliament.

’Barzani asked the leadership of parliament to pass the law of Kurdistan Region’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC).” Jawhar said this process should be put together quickly in order to supervise the referendum process and move forward towards elections.’The decision of closing [not streaming live] today’s parliament meeting was due to the request of MPs; nobody solely decided or was pressured to make it closed, but 77 MPs voted in favor of having closed meeting,’ Added Jawhari.He mentioned in regards to Article 140: ’The aim of Barzani’s speech was to clarify that some stages of the article have already taken place, and that the Kurdistan Region will implement the rest.’’Barzani asked the Kurdistan Parliament to set a date for holding the referendum, and asked for the disputed territories to be supervised by Kurdistan Region’s IHEC to quickly determine their fate,’ concluded Jawhari. http://basnews.com/en/News/Details/Barzani–We-Have-International-Support-for-Independence/25552