Iraqi Kurdistan withdraws ministers from Maliki's cabinet

The Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq has decided to withdraw all Kurdish ministers from the Iraqi federal government in Baghdad in response to the accusations by Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki that Erbil has turned into a headquarters for the organisation of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed news website reported.

Arafat Karam, an MP of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, told the news website that: “The president of the Kurdistan region, Massoud Barzani, has decided to withdraw our Kurdish ministers from Baghdad in response to Al-Maliki’s accusations against the Kurdistan region, that it has turned into a headquarters to ISIS militants and terrorists.”

Karam said “Maliki’s comments indicate that he does not intend to cooperate with other parties and this makes him an unwelcome person in any future government,” adding that “these ridiculous accusations and threats cannot further the relationship between the Kurdish and Shia coalition and the political process.”

Meanwhile, an informed source in Baghdad revealed to Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed that six Kurdish ministers, including Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, Health Minister Majeed Amin and Deputy Prime Minister Ruz Nuri Shaways, are all preparing to leave Baghdad at the request of Barzani.

The news website quoted the source as saying that, “withdrawing the ministers will not effect the on-going consultations between the political blocs to form a new government.”

Al-Maliki accused on Wednesday the Kurdistan region of turning into a headquarters for ISIS, Al-Qaeda militants and Baathist elements of the former regime of President Saddam Hussein, stressing that Baghdad will not tolerate Kurdish control of the disputed areas.

Kurdistan took control of the disputed areas after Iraqi forces withdrew from them, particularly the oil-rich city of Kirkuk.

As a result of the on-going crisis, Barzani has also asked the Kurdish parliament to prepare for a referendum on secession from Iraq.