Thursday, May 31, 2007
Kurds reject postponement of Article 140
Government
(Kurdish Globe) - Baghdad may be looking for a three-year delay in implementing a stated article of the new Iraqi Constitution, which is anything but in the best interests of Kurds. Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani met with the UN Secretary-General's special representative, Ashraf Qazi, and rejected the possibility of canceling or postponing the implementation of Article 140 to normalize the situation in the oil-rich city of Kirkuk.
Kurdish leaders and politicians believe that any delay in implementing the article will not be in the best interests of the people of Kurdistan.
"The government of Kurdistan rejected a proposal by the government of Nuri al-Maliki to postpone the implementation of Article 140 for three years," said Mullah Bakhtiar, a member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan political bureau, the party of Iraqi President, Jalal Talabani. Mullah Bakhtiar stressed that "the Kurds demand the implementation of that article in the constitutional time frame assessed."
Bakhtiar said that if Kurdish leaders agree to a three-year delay, the Baghdad government by that time will have become economically and politically stronger and may choose not to implement the article at all. "We must not lose this precious opportunity in our hands and we must work toward accelerating the implementation and not postponing it," said Mullah Bakhtiar. On his latest visit to Baghdad, Kurdistan Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani discussed the implementation of Article 140 with the Iraqi officials. He expressed optimism and described the meeting as successful.
Kurdish leaders and politicians believe that any delay in implementing the article will not be in the best interests of the people of Kurdistan.
"The government of Kurdistan rejected a proposal by the government of Nuri al-Maliki to postpone the implementation of Article 140 for three years," said Mullah Bakhtiar, a member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan political bureau, the party of Iraqi President, Jalal Talabani. Mullah Bakhtiar stressed that "the Kurds demand the implementation of that article in the constitutional time frame assessed."
Bakhtiar said that if Kurdish leaders agree to a three-year delay, the Baghdad government by that time will have become economically and politically stronger and may choose not to implement the article at all. "We must not lose this precious opportunity in our hands and we must work toward accelerating the implementation and not postponing it," said Mullah Bakhtiar. On his latest visit to Baghdad, Kurdistan Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani discussed the implementation of Article 140 with the Iraqi officials. He expressed optimism and described the meeting as successful.
Fryad Rwandzi, member of the Iraqi Parliament's Kurdistan Coalition List, said that the Iraqi committee for implementing the Iraqi constitution gave Kurdish leaders two options on the Kirkuk issue, and Kurdish leaders are now studying them.
The first option states that steps for normalizing the Kirkuk situation (implementing Article 140) should be completed by the end of 2008, instead of 2007. The constitution currently calls for implementation at the end of 2007.
The second option is that Kirkuk province could become a federal region, and all areas now under control of the Kurdistan government could be returned to the Kirkuk region; then, after three years, a referendum would be held for people to decide either to be part of Kurdistan Region, the Baghdad government, or a federal region.
The first option states that steps for normalizing the Kirkuk situation (implementing Article 140) should be completed by the end of 2008, instead of 2007. The constitution currently calls for implementation at the end of 2007.
The second option is that Kirkuk province could become a federal region, and all areas now under control of the Kurdistan government could be returned to the Kirkuk region; then, after three years, a referendum would be held for people to decide either to be part of Kurdistan Region, the Baghdad government, or a federal region.
Labels: Article 140, Ashraf Qazi, Iraqi constitution, Kirkuk, Massoud Barzani, Mullah Bakhtiar
