Gorran (Change Movement) would like to see parliament reactivated in order to deal with the issue. “Some steps should be taken, notably building national unanimity, reactivating the parliament and issuing a law, and getting people from disputed areas to participate,” Zimnako Jalal, Gorran National Assembly member, told Rudaw.
“Perhaps building a new state after a century of waiting by Kurds of all four parts requires more than what it took other states to build. Some neighboring countries still flinch when they hear the words ‘Kurds and state’,” he added. The four parts of Kurdistan refers to Kurdish lands divided by the borders of Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Syria.
The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) held a high-level meeting on Sunday presided over by President Masoud Barzani. In a joint statement released after their hours-long meeting, the two main ruling Kurdish parties announced they would form a joint committee to prepare for a referendum on independence for the Kurdistan Region.
The committee will “set the timing and mechanism” of a referendum, the statement detailed.
Delegates of the KDP and PUK will begin their work on Monday, meeting with the Islamic Union in the morning and with the Islamic Group in the afternoon to discuss preparations for a referendum, Hemin Hawrami, senior assistant to President Masoud Barzani and member of the KDP leadership council, tweeted on Sunday evening.
Members of the Islamic Union and Islamic Group, however, agree with Gorran that the referendum should be approached through parliament.
“The most appropriate way to go about the referendum is the reactivation of the parliament, then development of understanding among parties. This question should involve all parties. One single party should not make it its own achievement,” said Othman Karwani of the leadership of the Islamic Union.
“Who should do this and when? This needs the agreement and meeting of parties. Hence, no committee or organization should be used as an alternative to the parliament. We must turn to the parliament to resolve the crisis,” Faruq Ali, Islamic Group leadership member, said.
The Kurdish parliament has not convened since August 2015. The Kurdistan Region has been politically deadlocked in October 2015, amid a dispute over an amendment to the region’s presidential law.
The KDP and PUK, in their meeting, also decided on the question to be put to a vote, according to Hawrami.
KDP/PUK decided that there will be 1 question to our people for the referendum in Kurdistan,are you for an independent Kurdistan? YES or NO.
— Hemin Hawrami (@heminhawrami) April 2, 2017
