PUK’s Masum: Talabani’s alternative will not get his powers

Shafaaq-com – 23.11.2013 – SLÊMANÎ:  The leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Fuad Masum said on Saturday that anyone who would replace Talabani, as secretary general of the party will not get the same powers, pointing out that no one had asked to take over his position either in the party or the state.

“Any secretary-general of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan in the future should devote himself to the party and won’t be do a President of the Republic of Iraq at the same time, as is the case with President, Talabani,” Masum’s remarks came in “Nuqtah Netham “ program through al-Arabiya TV channel.He added that some of our “suffering “is because Talabani was a president and secretary general of the party, his interest in the party was not much as before.

Masum believed that anyone who would replace Talabani as president of the party will not get the same powers, pointing out that this is due to the history of Talabani and his struggle and being a founder of the foundation of the party.

He added that Talabani and throughout his position as Secretary-General was not a party to any problem with any person or entity in the Patriotic Union. About the retreat of Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK)in the recent elections in the region, Masum said that the absence of Talabani was not the only reason for this, but a variety of reasons, including the impact of the media on some of the opposition party leaders. He denied that KDP had any role in the decline of PUK in the elections.

On the future of the strategic agreement between PUK and KDP, Masum said that if KDP ” needs us then we need it also” because the nature of the region’s stability and security are linked to the compatibility between these two parties. He added that in case of the need to reconsider the strategic agreement, the parties must agree on that issue, adding that this issue is not submitted now by PUK. Masuam acknowledged the existence of corruption in Kurdistan region, pointing out that it is being discussed.