KDPI tackles leadership and unification at party congress
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—The Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran is holding its 16th congress in the city of Koya today where its current leader may step down and reunification with one of its splinter groups be a key topic of discussion.
Sources from in the party have said that KDP-I’s current leader Khalid Azizi has decided not to run for the party leadership again.
The KDP-I holds its congress every four years and the party charter stipulates that the leader is not allowed to run for the post more than two four-year terms.
Reunification with a splinter group that split from the KDP-I under the same name at the party’s 13th congress in 2006 is also believed to be one of the main topics of today’s congress.
Both groups have held their separate party congresses since their break off.
In 2012 however leaders of the two branches of the party met face to face at the French consulate in Erbil and since held several informal meetings.
Founded in 1945 the KDPI is the main Kurdish opposition group to the Iranian state, though the group ceased all armed activities against Iran more than a decade ago to seek a political solution.