ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said on Tuesday that drafting a constitution for the Kurdistan Region will be a priority following the formation of the new cabinet. Several consecutive sessions of the Kurdish legislature have attempted, but failed, to produce a constitution for the Region.
“Regarding the Kurdistan Region’s constitution, we should have done this a long time ago. Last year, we held a very successful election. Thanks to the people of Kurdistan, the turnout was nearly 72 percent. I hope that, after the Iraqi elections, we can witness the formation of the Kurdistan Regional Government. Definitely, the priority will be the Kurdistan constitution,” said President Barzani during a panel at the Middle East Peace and Security (MEPS) Forum in the Kurdistan Region’s northern Duhok province.
The Kurdistan parliament was established in 1992. Since then, several drafts of the constitution were discussed at the legislature, but none were turned into laws due to differences.
President Barzani has been a staunch supporter of efforts to draft a constitution. In 2022, he sent a letter to the parliament, urging the lawmakers to make fresh and serious efforts to produce a constitution. He expressed his office’s full support in this regard.
Kurdistan Region held its parliamentary elections in October last year, but the political parties have yet to form a new government. Additionally, the parliament has yet to be reactivated.
President Barzani said that despite their differences at home, Kurdish political parties, which gained seats in the November 11 Iraqi parliamentary elections, should be united in Baghdad.
“There should be a decision that makes all Kurdish [political] forces go to Baghdad as a team. Together we can fulfil achievements,” said President Barzani when asked about the unity of Kurds in Baghdad. “All of us will try to achieve this.”
He said that while the Kurdish parties can compete within the Region, they must agree on a unified stance to preserve the Kurdistan Region’s interests.
“All winning Kurdistani parties, as per their size [number seats], go to Baghdad with a joint list [of demands], negotiate and establish a framework for the interests of Kurdistan Region,” said President Barzani.
Erbil-Baghdad issues
A recent agreement between Erbil, Baghdad and oil companies led to the resumption of Kurdistan Region’s oil exports in September after more than two and a half years of suspension. However, financial tensions between both governments persist.
Kurdistan Region’s civil servants have yet to receive the salaries of September.
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said on Sunday that Baghdad has “no justification” for delaying civil servants' salaries, insisting the Region has met all of its obligations.
"There is no justification for delaying the disbursement of salaries because the Kurdistan Region has fulfilled all its obligations،" Barzani told Rudaw.
President Barzani said on Tuesday that the key to stability and peace in Iraq is the resolution of Erbil-Baghdad issues. “We hope they have learned a lesson from the past. The lesson is that we should name this stage the stage of implementing the Iraqi Constitution and resolution of all issues with the Kurdistan Region based on the Constitution,” he said.
President Barzani and his Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) emphasized during their campaigning for the latest Iraqi elections that they will work for the implementation of the Iraqi constitution following the vote.
“The Erbil-Baghdad issue originates from the Constitution and failure to implement it. Baghdad’s treatment of the Kurdistan Region is not constitutional as it is extremely central. I have said many times that you can never find such a system in the world,” noted Barzani.
Ankara-PKK peace process
Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) have been publicly engaged in talks through mediators to end their decades-long conflict. Following a call from its jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan in February, the PKK dissolved itself and decided to lay down arms. The group has also taken other steps to help the process go smoothly, with the latest one being the withdrawal of its fighters from a strategic mountain in the Kurdistan Region.
On Tuesday, President Barzani reiterated Kurdistan Region’s support for the peace process, adding that he believes Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is serious.
“Based on my meetings in Ankara, especially with President [Recep Tayyip Erdogan], this is a very serious process, but we have to be realistic. A 40-year conflict cannot be resolved overnight. This process needs patience…This process could take years… The process could be slow but it is a serious one and deserves everyone’s support for its success,” he said.
“What we see from Mr. Ocalan too has emphasized that this process leads to a peace that will benefit everyone,” he added.
Syrian Kurds
President Barzani also talked about the future of Syrian Kurds, emphasizing that a central system does not work in Syria. He has previously stated that he has conveyed this message to Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
He announced that Mazloum Abdi, commander-in-chief of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), was set to arrive in Duhok on Tuesday. Rudaw later learned that Abdi had arrived in the city.