Kurdish MPs say yes to independence referendum

The Iraqi Kurdish parliament has voted to back an independence referendum in the face of opposition from across the globe. The Kurdistan Regional Government, sitting for the first time in two years, backed the 25 September vote on Friday.

Iraq's central government rejected the referendum as unconstitutional on Tuesday. Iran, Turkey and the US also object to the vote, fearing further instability.

The White House issued a statement hours after the vote, asking the Kurdistan Regional Government to call off the referendum and "enter into serious and sustained dialogue with Baghdad". The statement warned the independence vote could "distract from efforts to defeat" the Islamic State militant group.

There was a feeling of jubilation amongst those who back the referendum. "We've been waiting more than 100 years for this," Omed Khoshnaw, of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDR), told Reuters news agency.

Of the 111 MPs who sit in the regional parliament, 65 voted to go ahead with the plan. However, more than 40 did not attend the sitting, according to local media. A number of opposition MPs had said they were planning to abstain. Iraq's government has also authorised the prime minister to "take all measures" to preserve national unity.

The parliamentary decision to hold the referendum on independence has been met with wide celebrations in the Kurdish capital of Irbil. International, as well as regional, powers like Turkey and Iran have been very critical of the upcoming voting process, warning of repercussions. Both countries have relatively large Kurdish communities and they are afraid of the domino effect that such a referendum could have.

Kurds are the fourth-largest ethnic group in the Middle East but they have never obtained a permanent nation state.