KDP delegation attend 194th executive committee LI meeting in Zurich

By official invitation of Liberal International, a Kurdistan Democratic Party delegation consisting of Mr Sherko Habeb, Head of Communications at KDP's foreign relations office and Mr Sarbest Karim, head of KDP branch in Switzerland participated at the 194th Executive Committee meeting in Zurich where they had taken part in a diverse programme of debates covering topics from digital freedom to combatting populism.

Mr Habeb spoke about the current political developments in the Kurdistan Region where preparations are underway to start a referendum on independence. He said that the region has been disintegrated from Iraq since the First World War and it is a part of  Iraq by force, rather than by choi

from the Liberal Democrats party Dr Phil Bennion was in attendance at the meeting where he commented that after world war in 1918, Kurdistan was split regrettably in parts spreading across, that his party fully supports the idea of an independent Kurdish nation. He spoke in addition to the recent referendum in Scotland where democracy had prevailed and Britain exiting the EU would have a negative impact and it could divide the United Kingdom.

The representative from Consorci Costa Brava of Catalonia, Mr Pere Salo í Manera said his region is also seeking independence as informal votes has shown more than 80% in favour and said the results are an indication that should pave the way for a formal referendum. On the Kurdish state, Mr Manera reiterated his support for the Kurds.

On the side-lines of the meeting, the KDP delegation held talks with Gordon Dowsley, Canadian representative of Consulting in International Development, Margaret de Vos van Steenwijk, President of International Network of Liberal Women (INLW), and Oriano Otocan, Head of Office at IDS-DDL in European Parliament, where they conversed on the security situation in Kurdistan, Peshmerga forces recapturing lost ground to ISIS, President Massoud Barzani's role in the current battle against ISIS militants and outstanding issues between Erbil and Baghdad where the Iraqi government is not adhering to agreement between the two sides to resolve oil revenue and budget allocation disputed.

All parties spoke highly of the Peshmerga who are fighting ISIS on behalf of the free world.