Fate of Kurdish presidency divides Iraqi Kurds
As the term of Kurdish President Massoud Barzani is drawing to an end and as the transfer of power is still unknown, some political parties are suggesting a new parliamentary system whereby Barzani would have a mere ceremonial role.
ERBIL, Iraq — As the tenure of Iraqi Kurdistan's President Massoud Barzani is coming to an end soon, the question of transfer of power has divided Kurdish political factions and threatens to destabilize the Kurdistan Region of Iraq amid an ongoing war against the Islamic State (IS).
Barzani has been president for 10 years. When his term was about to end in June 2013, his Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and then-ally Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) — led by former Iraqi President Jalal Talabani — agreed to extend his term via a parliamentary motion for two years.
The legal provisions introduced in June 2013 to extend Barzani's term explicitly state that the president's tenure will not be prolonged for more than two years. This two-year period will end on Aug. 19.
However, with just three months left to the end of Barzani's term, there has been no breakthrough yet as to how to resolve the legal and political dilemma of whether a power transfer will take place or who should hold the office of president after the August deadline.
