MESOP THE SOUTHERN TROUBLES : PUK refuses to dissolve current Iraqi Kurdistan government

Shfaaq com – 14 Oct 22015 – ERBIL-Hewler, Kurdistan region ‘Iraq’,— The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) has announced its refusal to dissolve the current Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the formation of a new cabinet in isolation from Change (Gorran) Movement. The head of KRG, Nechirvan Barzani is intending to dissolve his government consisting of several political parties, after the split between Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Change Movement after the recent protest movement. The KDP would submit a proposal to the PUK and the Islamic Union KIU to form a government composed mainly of these parties and that KDP rejects strongly the participation of Change movement in any political action that has a link in the government, after confirmation of the movement’s involvement in the recent protests which led to the deaths of five people and burn of the party ‘s headquarters.

The head of the PUK Politburo, Mala Bakhtiar said in a news conference after a meeting of political parties in Erbil that, “There are talks in this regard, and we are waiting for KDP to from us officially about it.”“We in PUK will have a firm stance, rejecting any project to dissolve the government to continue independently of Change Movement,” he added.

Nechirvan Barzani has removed four members of his cabinet from the Gorran Movement, a spokesman said on Monday, in an escalating political crisis that threatens to destabilize the relatively peaceful region. Iraqi Kurdistan Parliament’s Speaker was prevented from entering Erbil city on Monday.Thousands of people demonstrated in the past days against KRG, KDP and the non-payment of salaries to civil servants by the KRG, in Sulaimani and several other Kurdish towns, demanding that KDP leader Massoud Barzani whose presidency ended on August 20, to step down. Several local KDP headquarter buildings were set on fire by the protesters.Massoud Barzani has been accused by critics of amassing huge wealth for his family instead of serving the population. Barzani’s son is the Kurdistan region’s intelligence chief and his nephew Nechirvan Barzani is the prime minister. Massoud Barzani has led Kurdistan region as president from 2005 for two executive terms and his last term was extended in 2013 by ruling KDP and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) for two more years on the condition that he can no longer run as president.