Baghdad rejects talks between Kurdish leadership and Iraq’s vice presidents
Baghdad’s central government yesterday rejected talks between Iraq’s vice presidents and Kurdish leader as the two sides remain at an impasse over Kurdistan’s independence push.
Iraq’s Kurdish region voted for independence in a symbolic but controversial referendum two weeks ago, against Baghdad’s approval.
The central government responded by banning international flights out of the region and threatening to suspend Kurdish representatives from the national parliament.
Saad Al Hadithi, the spokesperson of Iraq’s prime minister Haider Al Abadi, said: “The meeting that took place between president of Iraqi Kurdistan Masoud Barzani and Iraqi vice presidents Ayad Allawi and Osama Al Nujaifi does not reflect the position of the Iraqi government.
“The meeting was part of consultations between various Iraqi and Kurdish parties,” Mr Al Hadithi said, and that Baghdad’s position was well reflected in the decisions passed by the office of the prime minister, the Iraqi supreme court, and the Iraqi parliament, all of whom reject the Kurdish referendum.
Mr Al Hadithi said: “Any dialogue between the two sides should be within the framework of the Iraqi constitution, which stipulates protecting the unity and territorial integrity of Iraq.”
On Saturday, Mr Barzani met with Mr Allawi and Mr Al Nujaifi in Sulaymaniyah, where they were attending the funeral of Jalal Talabani, Iraq’s former president and leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.
Mr Allawi urged Baghdad and Erbil to restrain from provoking issues, pushing for dialogue within the framework of the Iraqi constitution.
During the meeting Mr Allawi said “regional countries should not interfere”. Mr Allawi’s adviser, Sara Allawi, said that he “pointed to the importance of engaging all sides of the political process to resolve the dispute with Erbil”.
This comes under the frameworks of the “Allawi initiative” in which Mr Allawi is leading efforts to bring Erbil and Baghdad to the negotiating table. The three agreed on talks with an open agenda and to ensure ongoing meetings between Erbil and Baghdad.
Yesterday, Mr Barzani held talks with the speaker of Iraqi’s central government Salim Al Jubouri, in Erbil, where the latter stressed the need to preserve unity, security and stability in Iraq.
Abdel Al Malik Husseini, spokesman for the speaker of the Iraqi parliament, said: “The meeting aims to prevent the deterioration of the relationship between Baghdad and Erbil which threatens the security and stability of Iraq.”
Mr Al Jubouri’s visit aims to “end the state of separation between Baghdad’s central government and Kurdistan” Mr Husseini said.
Hemin Hawrami, senior assistant to Mr Barzani said: “Erbil informed Mr Al Jubouri that the Kurdish government is ready for dialogue with Baghdad without preconditions from any side in a defined time frame.” The message was reiterated by the Kurdish prime minister Nechirvan Barzani.