Statement by President Barzani

Dr. Barham Salih on September 28 visited upon his request to discuss and exchange views on the President of the Republic position.

With respect to Kak Dr. Barham Salih, the President of the Republic position is related to the political right of the peoples of Kurdistan — not an individual or faction, and a question that concerns all Iraqi groups and Kurdistani peoples.

We preferred that all Kurdistani factions agree on a single candidate but regrettably Patriotic Union of Kurdistan unilaterally announced their own candidate, and later other Kurdistani factions, including Kurdistan Democratic Party, announced their own candidates too.

Settling this question through a mechanism that determines a single candidate must remain with Kurdistani factions, and the will of the majority of the people of Kurdistan respected. We prefer that the selection of a candidate for the President of the Republic returns to Kurdistani blocs in Baghdad.

The candidate who secures the majority of Kurdistani factions’ representatives should be the Kurdistani candidate, and I call on all sides to respect the will of the majority of representatives from Kurdistani factions in Baghdad.

Masoud Barzani

September 28, 2018