Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) President Masoud Barzani on Sunday urged all of the KRG’s political parties to agree on a mechanism for holding presidential election before his term expires on August 20.
Barzani, head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), also called on the Kurdish parliament to decide what system of government to adopt – parliamentary or presidential – before the expiry of his term.
KRG presidential polls had initially been slated for August 20 – the same day on which Barzani’s term expires – with Barzani intending to run for a third term.
The KDP-led government, however, recently postponed the polls, citing the KRG’s precarious economic situation and regional instability.
The government also called for the extension of Barzani’s term for another two years, but it remains unclear whether this will be implemented.
Barzani was elected president by the Kurdish parliament in 2005. He was reelected in 2009 by popular vote – the KRG’s first direct presidential election.
When his second term expired in 2013, parliament extended his mandate until August 20 of this year.
Under Barzani, the KRG has come to be considered an ally of Turkey and a strong supporter of the fight against the Daesh militant group, which since last year has captured significant territories in both Iraq and Syria.
The 111-seat Kurdish Regional Parliament is currently shared between Barzani’s KDP (38 seats); the Gorran party (24 seats); the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (18); the Yekgirt party (ten seats); and the Komela Islam party (six seats), with the remaining 15 seats held by various small parties.