Meeting of Opposition Forces in Sulaimaniya to take position towards Barzani’s message

SULAIMANIYA / IraqiNews.com: The three opposition blocs in northern Iraq ’s Kurdish city of Sulaimaniya have held a meeting in the city on Wednesday to take a joint position towards the message of Kurdistan President, Massoud Barzani, calling them for dialogue, a media source in the opposition’s Goran (Change) Movement said.   “The Leaders of the opposition’s political blocs in Kurdistan Region – the Goran (Change) Movement, led by Nowsherwan Mustapha, the Kurdistan Islamic Union, led by Salahaddin Bahaddin and the Islamic Group, led by Ali Bapear, are scheduled to meet today (Wednesday) in Sulaimaniya to define their position towards Barzani’s message,” the source told IraqiNews.com news agency.   Barzani had addressed a message on Tuesday to all Kurdish political parties, calling them to return to the round table for dialogue and discussions, in order to reach an agreement, based on the “law and the legitimacy.”   The three said Kurdish opposition parties had presented a project for political reform to the Kurdistan government, but they had adjourned the talks with the two main ruling parties in Kurdistan , the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) after the entrance of the Kurdish Peshmerga forces into Sulaimaniya.   Hundreds of demonstrators had gathered on February 17 th last in central Sulaimaniya’s Azadi ( Liberty ) Square, demanding the improvement of the services and living conditions, fighting corruption and carrying out political reforms.   The demonstrations had witnessed clashes with the security forces that killed several people and injured 47 others, in front of the headquarters of the Kurdistan Democratic Party in the city.   Sulaimaniya is 350 km to the north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad .   SKH (FT)     728