MESOP : BETTING ON TRUMP ? – Barzani demands referendum for Kurdish state before US polls

 27 Jan 2016 – MESOP – Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani told political parties on Tuesday that a referendum on the region’s independence from Iraq should take place before the US presidential election in November.

According to Rudaw, Barzani said the region “should hold a referendum before the US presidential election kicks off,” which would be next November. On Sunday, Barzani met with top officials from the major Kurdish parties, including his Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the Kurdistan Islamic Union to find formula to solve a political impasse and economic crisis in the region. The meeting agreed to begin working on question of the referendum and resolve problems between the deadlocked Kurdish political parties. www.mesop.de