Gorran holds ‘successful’ National Council

Kurdistan Tribune – 19.1.2013 – The Gorran National Council finished their second round of meetings today. It attracted local Kurdish media attention for two main reasons. First, there was a report on the recent visit by Nawshirwan Mustafa to Masud Barzani in Saladin, when he was accompanied by Ali Bapir and Mohamed Faraj, leaders of two other opposition parties, for a discussion with President Barzani about latest developments in fraught Erbil-Baghdad relations.

Second, the media is interested in Gorran’s current internal disputes, since many members have been complaining vocally about various things. The meeting went ahead without three former leading party members who resigned this week, although they had been invited to attend and explain their concerns. Most of Gorran’s grassroots are unhappy about the visit by the party leadership to Jalal Talabani last September and also about the selection of the National Council. Nonetheless National Council member Hushyar Abdulla told reporters that the meeting was successful and sources close to the Gorran leadership have confirmed to us that Nawshirwan Mustafa displayed some optimism about last Thursday’s meeting with Barzani.