nsnbc : The High Referendum Council in the Kurdistan Autonomous Region (KAR) of Iraq asserted that the referendum on the region’s independence will be held as scheduled on September 25, as no acceptable alternative has been offered.
The announcement came after the High Referendum Council held a meeting on Thursday. Headed by Kurdistan Regional Government President Mahmoud Barzani, the Council met on Thursday to discuss latest developments ahead of the referendum.
In a statement released after the meeting, the Council reiterated that time is running out and no acceptable alternatives have been offered to replace the referendum with another modality that also guarantees independence.
The Council stated, unequivocally, that the referendum will be held on time. In its statement the Council noted that four points have emerged during the meeting.
- As there hasn’t yet emerged any alternative to the referendum and as time is running out, the referendum will take place on time, on September 25, if a complete guarantee for independence isn not given through other modalities.
- All doors for talks with the central government of Iraq in Baghdad will remain open and necessary time will be given for talks.
- The High Referendum Council has, during its meeting, decided that a delegation will visit Baghdad on Saturday, September 23, 2017, to express the latest stance.
- The High Referendum Council decided that the Council’s Secretary will publish both the rights of the people and the declaration of the general principles of the independent State of Kurdistan before September 25, 2017.
The office of the Presidency of the Kurdistan Autonomous Region stated that President Masoud barzani had a telephone conversation with his French counterpart, President Emmanuel Macron in which Marcron asked Barzani to postpone the referendum.
Masoud Barzani reportedly also had a telephone call with French President Emmanuel Macron in which the French leader asked Barzani to postpone the vote. Barzani refused to put off the referendum, but said talks with Baghdad would continue after the vote.
France, has, along with other EU member states and the United States, endorsed the referendum per se, but stressed that it should be delayed because a dispute between the central government in Baghdad and Shiite Hashd forces on one hand, and Kurdish Peshmerga on the other, could weaken the alliance against ISIS. Leading Iraqi, Iranian and Turkish politicians warned that the referendum could lead to military interventions against Erbil.
CH/L – nsnbc 21.09.2017
Source Article from https://nsnbc.me/2017/09/21/86316/
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