MESOP : THE DECISIVE MOMENT IN KURDISH HISTORY – Kurds to organize two referendums in 2014

15.07.2014 – Hemin Salih – BasNews, Erbil – Two referendums are taking place in 2014: one will decide whether the residents of Iraq’s disputed territories are to be under Baghdad or Kurdistan Regional Government control and the other will decide whether the people of the Kurdistan Region want to remain in Iraq or become independent. For a region seeking independence and statehood, it is important to carry out referendums in order to get the people’s opinions. It is also key – and perhaps most important – to ensure the support and recognition of other countries.

According to information obtained by BasNews through the Secretary of Kurdistan Parliament, the draft law of the referendum will soon be ready to be passed in parliament, this will then be followed by the creation of a department which will deal with this matter. Following the referendum on disputed areas, a general referendum will take place for independence in all cities in the Kurdistan Region including Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Duhok and Kirkuk.

BasNews has been informed that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has begun work on its diplomatic attempts to gain the support of countries. On July 10th President Massoud Barzani met with diplomats in the Kurdistan Region to ask them to discuss the referendum in their own countries.  

Kurdish political parties have begun sending delegations to different countries to obtain support for Kurdish independence. Secretary of Kurdistan Parliament Fakhradin Qadr told BasNews that two draft laws to create an Independent High Electoral Committee (IHEC) for the Kurdistan Region and referendum have been submitted to Parliament Leadership.

“These two draft laws will then be joint into one draft law. Later the committee that receives the draft law needs to send a report back to Parliament Leadership in 15 days by submitting their reports with it. Later, it will be discussed in parliament,” said Qadr.He pointed out that they want to discuss the draft law and pass it soon: “after Barzani signs it, it will be given to the executive office and the executive will form the department based on the law.”

“The formation of the department will not take time, and it will be taken in two steps. First, the referendum will take place in disputed areas then general referendum will be conducted in all over the Kurdistan Region,” added Qadr. University Lecturer of Political Science Dr. Rebwar Karim told BasNews that diplomatic attempts are very important in order to gain self-determination. But he believes that it is also important that those who are going to gain the support and recognition of different countries need to be confident about their independence.