city of Erbil, Sep. 21, 2013. Photo: Reuters
ERBIL-Hewler, Kurdistan region ‘Iraq’,— Iraq’s Kurdistan region will vote for its president on August 20, a top Kurdish official announced on Saturday.
Fuad Hussein, chief of staff to the Kurdistan Region presidency, told local reporters on Saturday that President Masoud Barzani had set the date for the region’s presidential election.
According to the source, Barzani has called on all related government’s agencies and organizations to prepare for the election. report Ekurd
The current president has also asked all sides to work for a democratic, free and fair election, Hussein has added.
The spokesperson of Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Jafar Ibrahim Eminki has said the current situation in Iraqi Kurdistan requires President Barzani to stay in office.
Massoud Barzani will have served 10 years as president when his current term ends on August 19, 2015. Political discussions have been taken place for some time about whether or not to renew his mandate.
Meanwhile, many political parties believe that the President must be elected through a Parliamentary system.
Barzani has led Kurdistan region as president from 2005 for two executive terms and his last term was extended in 2013 by ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) for two more years on the condition that he can no longer run as president.
Barzani approves the extension of his 3rd mandate as president of Kurdistan late July 2013.
Former leading council member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party KDP and Massoud Barzani’s cousin, Adham Barzani, stated that extending Massoud Barzani’s presidential term is against the laws and regulations of Kurdistan region. Adham Barzani critised other senior members of KDP for obeying whatever the leader says and not having their own opinion on any decision; added this will create a dictatorship.