Kurdish PM says keen on taking part in forming new govt in Iraq
Kurdish Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani
Erbil (Iraqinews.com) – A Kurdish delegation will head for Baghdad soon to engage in talks over the formation of a new government following Saturday’s parliamentary elections, Kurdistan’s Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani said on Wednesday.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Barzani praised the high turnout by Kurdish voters in the parliamentary polls, stressing that the Kurdish leadership “has not yet engaged in talks to form a new government, but a Kurdish delegation will visit Baghdad soon to this end.”
“The Kurdish leadership stands at the same distance from all political blocs in Baghdad,” Barzani said, stressing that the Kurds have the right to “take over a sovereign position in Iraq.”
Moreover, Barzani called on the Independent High Electoral Commission to take any needed measures to count the votes at constituencies, where calls for manual recounts were aroused.
The Iraqi parliamentary elections will decide the 329 members of the Council of Representatives who will in turn elect the Iraqi president and prime minister.
The elections were originally scheduled for September 2017, but were delayed due to the country’s fight against Islamic State, which ended in December 2017 with the recapture of their remaining territories.
Saturday’s elections saw a record low turnout, with 44 percent of eligible voters casting ballots.