POLITICS: “Failure to implement Federation System shall lead to catastrophe in Iraq,” Barzani says

ARBIL / IraqiNews.com: The President of north Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, Massoud Barzani, has said on Thursday that the “failure of implementing the Federal System in Iraq shall lead to a catastrophe in Iraq,” confirming that the “Kurds are determined not to get involved in the sectarian difference, caused by the attempt of Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, to arrest Vice-President, Tariq al-Hashimy.” “The Kurds are not part of the sectarian differences, now taking place..Yes, we are part of the political difference and the political conflict, but not part of the sectarian difference,” Barzani said in interview with Reuters News Agency. Noteworthy is that the Kurdish Leaders have called for the holding of a national conference to settle the differences between Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki and al-Iraqiya Alliance, now boycotting the Parliament and the Cabinet’s meetings, charging the government, led by the Shiites, with having concentrated the authorities in its hands. “The Kurds are looking forward towards an agreement among the political parties about the venue and the time of the conference, Barzani said, expressing “readiness to host the conference, but political sources said that Maliki opposes holding it in the Kurdistan Capital of Arbil, insisting to settle the case of Vice-President Hashimy first.” Barzani said that “if the political parties decide another venue for the conference, that would be their decision, but the venue does not represent a problem for the Kurds,” though he expressed conviction that several related parties were not prepared to meet in Baghdad. As regards to the fate of Vice-President Hashimy, Barzani said: “this is something to be decided by the Legislative System and the courts, and the Kurds won’t interfere in any measures taken by the Judicial System.” Hashimy said that he was prepared to attend a trial in Kurdistan Region, insisting that he won”t have a just trial in Baghdad. The crisis have laid the Kurds in fears from dangers, but they could lay them in the position of mediators, in case of reaching to a political agreement, with al-Maliki and al-Iraqiya Alliances would need the support of the Kurds in the Parliament, within the confrontation between both alliances. Barzani explained that “the Kurds have chosen a voluntary unity between the Arabs and the Kurds, provided that the ruling system in Iraq be a Federal System, which is a Constitutional right for the Kurds and the whole people of Iraq,” pointing out that “the prevention of implementing certain constitutional items, would push the country towards grave problems and catastrophe.” As regards to the oil contacts, signed in Kurdistan Region, which is a point of difference between Baghdad and Arbil, Barzani said: “there is an agreement with Baghdad that each side continues the signing of such deals, till the issuance of the Oil & Gas Law.” Kurdistan Region had signed contracts with the American Excon Company new oil contracts that Baghdad officials say there had been signed in the areas-in-conflict between Arbil and Baghdad, but Barzani said that “the Kurds consider those areas as part of Kurdistan Region.