Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Kurdish bloc walks out of parliament
Politics
The Kurdistani coalition and the deputy parliament speaker and member of the Kurdistani coalition Aref Tifoz withdrew from the parliament session in protest over a statement by National Iraqi List MP and former Minister of Industry Dr. Osama Al-Najifi. Al-Najifi's statement said the villages in Mosul are dominated by Kurds in efforts to integrate them into the Kurdistan region and stressed that these villages were of Arab origin. He also indicated that Mosul was an Arab city; historically and geographically.
The 55 MPs of the Kurdistani coalition left the parliament in protest over Najifi's statement which they described as "chauvinist." A number of the Kurd MPs tried to interrupt Al-Najifi but the Parliament speaker requested Al-Najifi to continue his statement , virtue of his right as MP, which did not sit well with the Kurdish coalition. The leader of the Kurdistani coalition Dr. Fuad Maassoum also left the Parliament in protest over the statement and the actions of the parliament speaker who was followed by Deputy Prime Minister Aref Tifor.
The leader of the Iraqi communist party and head of the Iraqi National List said the statement only represents the personal view of Al-Najifi. After leaving Parliament, Dr. Fuad Maassoum expressed in a press conference shock over the statement which instead of focusing on the country's current security and stability focused on Mosul's past history and geography. In this respect, Maassoum put blame on the Iraqi National List for choosing Al-Najifi as spokesman and said the MPs left Parliament in protest.
