Masoud Barzani hosts US Ambassador, addresses Kurdish concerns and election matters
Shafaq News / On Wednesday, the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), Masoud Barzani, received the US Ambassador to Iraq, Alina Romanowski.
According to his headquarters, leader Barzani discussed various issues with his guest, primarily the political landscape in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
Romanowski extended greetings to the Kurdish people on the Nowruz occasion and expressed concerns over the political situation, especially after the KDP's withdrawal from running the June parliamentary elections.
The US Ambassador urged the Kurdistan Democratic Party to "actively engage in resolving pertinent issues and apprehensions relevant to the imminent elections."
The KDP declared, on Monday, its decision to boycott the upcoming parliamentary elections in the Region, warning of potential withdrawal from Iraq's political process. The decision came after the Federal Supreme Court made rulings regarding the Kurdish elections, including canceling the quota seats, dividing the Kurdish Regions into four constituencies instead of the single-constituency system in previous elections, and Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission taking over from KRG's electoral commission to supervise parliamentary elections.
In elucidating the boycotting statement, Barzani stressed the Party's consistent advocacy for electoral processes since the 1990s. However, he iterated the "Party's apprehensions regarding the current electoral framework. "
Barzani voiced "profound concerns about potential threats to the core principles of societal harmony and the equitable representation of diverse ethnicities within the political sphere." highlighting that the "postponement of elections for two years stemmed from various factors, including external interventions that impinge upon the Region's autonomy."
"While the KDP has not resorted to boycotting elections, it staunchly advocates for conducting fair, transparent, and secure electoral processes devoid of external influences and preconceived agendas." The statement said.
Regarding the Erbil-Baghdad ties, leader Barzani acknowledged the existence of a comprehensive agreement with the State Administration Coalition (SAC).
SAC coalition was established following Muqtada Al-Sadr's withdrawal from politics; it comprises mainly the KDP, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK,) the Sunni Sovereignty led by Khamis al-Khanjar, the Taqaddum led by Mohammed Al-Halbousi, and the Iran-backed Shiite coalition forces (Coordination Framework).
The coalition outlined goals such as combating corruption, implementing reforms, rebalancing Iraq's regional relations, revising the electoral commission system, and promoting consensus among Iraqi factions.
In the statement, leader Barzani lamented the incomplete implementation of SAC's agreement, which "was designed to foster stability, prosperity, and mutually beneficial partnerships."
