It was not clear whether the PM was referring to holding a referendum as defined by the Iraqi constitution, known as Article 140, aimed at resolving the issue of the disputed areas, claimed both by Baghdad and Erbil such as Kirkuk, or if he was referring to a future Kurdistan Region-led referendum on independence.
Abadi said he discussed the issue of the referendum, and the Kurdistan flag, raised last month over Kirkuk’s state buildings, with the Kurdish delegation that visited Baghdad last week.
“Referendum is your right,” Abadi said he told the Kurdish delegation.
“But why now?” Abadi said he had asked the delegation, saying that he is stunned with an "escalation" that has no basis.
He raised the question of whether the Kurdish government wants to hold a province-wide referendum with all areas included, or area by area with some exclusions, such as Hawija.
The extremist group remains unchecked in Hawija and some of its surrounding areas, a town with a majority Sunni Arabs some 55 km south of Kirkuk. Kurdish officials and commanders have for so long complained that Baghdad is delaying the Hawija operation, despite the fact that the Kurdish Peshmerga have repeated that they are ready to launch an offensive to recapture the town that ISIS took over in 2014.
There are also hundreds of thousands of Iraqis displaced to Kirkuk who come from different parts of Iraq, the majority of whom from Saladin, Anbar and Mosul, and some of whom from Hawija who fled the ISIS-held areas.
“Is it possible to hold referendum while many of the areas are under ISIS?” PM Abadi continued, explaining that he asked the Kurdish delegation, Kirkuk Governor Najmaldin Karim and Kurdish leaders this question, in light of the ISIS occupation of areas in Kirkuk province and the presence of the displaced people.
The PM said that Iraqis have a “golden opportunity” to solve their differences as long as there is cooperation from all sides.
Abadi said that all sides have to avoid what he called rivalries that invite conflicts, adding that he is “optimistic” that the issue will be resolved, just as the Iraqi Security Forces and the Kurdish Peshmerga joined arms against ISIS in Mosul, even though many people said that it is not going to happen, eventually serving the interest of both sides.
He claimed that if there is going to be conflict over the areas, it will be about “oil and money”, in reference to the oil-rich Kirkuk province.
The Kurdish leadership, who have been working to form a multi-party committee to hold the independence referendum following a high-level meeting Tuesday between the two main Kurdish parties, presided over by President Masoud Barzani, has said if the people of the disputed areas, through their local councils, file a request to the Kurdistan Region to take part in the independence referendum, Erbil will welcome that.
With regard to the flag raising controversy in Kikruk, opposed by some Turkmen and Arab people in the province, and objected by Baghdad that deems it “unconstitutional”, Abadi said that the tension has now “decreased” in light of an agreement reached between the visiting Kurdish delegation to Baghdad and the Iraqi leaders, including Abadi.
The Kurdish delegation has said they told Baghdad that the Kurdistan flag will not be lowered.
