Barzani Presses for Referendum On Iraqi Kurdistan Constitution
Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani still faces considerable opposition to putting the draft constitution to a referendum.
Massoud Barzani, president of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, recently intensified his efforts to put the Iraqi Kurdistan Region’s draft constitution to a referendum. It is clear he is committed to making this happen, regardless of objections by the Kurdish opposition in the Parliament seeking to amend the draft before the referendum.
Over the past few days, Barzani has held meetings and discussions in his headquarters in Erbil with Kurdish political parties, with the exception of the opposition powers: the Movement for Change, the Kurdistan Islamic Union and the Islamic Group of Kurdistan.
Barzani also met with the committee tasked with drafting the constitution. The official website of the presidency noted in a statement that Barzani has asked the members of the Constitutional Review Committee during a meeting to relay their impressions and opinions about the draft.
The media statement reported Farsat Ahmad — the secretary of Iraqi Kurdistan’s parliament, the chairman of the Constitutional Review Committee and a member of the Barzani-led Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) — as saying that the committee was set up following a unanimous decision by all parliamentary coalitions, which represent all national affiliations, religions and political powers.
