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Barzani: Article 140 must be enacted if Kurdistan is to stay part of Iraq
04/06/2011 15:44
Erbil, June 4 (AKnews)- Kurdistan Regional President Massoud Barzani said today that Kurds will not be interested in separation from Iraq as long as their rights, as laid out in the Iraqi constitution, are provided for.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Barzani was referring to article 140 of the constitution that makes provisions for the payment of reparations to Kurds forced from their homes under Saddam Hussein, a comprehensive census of ethnic groups and a referendum to decide if disputed areas should fall under the control of Kurdistan Regional Government.
The implementation was supposed to be completed by 2007, but political wranglings have brought it to a dead-lock, with the payment of some Kurdish families the only action taken.
“As long as Iraq is committed to the current constitution, we will not consider separating from Iraq and founding an independent state,” said Barzani in an interview with London-based paper, Sharq al-Awast.
However, there are “some violations” of the constitution, he said.
Barzani warned that if Baghdad wants wealthy Kurdistan to remain part of Iraq, the constitution needs to be “fully implemented”.
Today the Arab Council in Kirkuk – one of the disputed regions – said the article should be considered “dead and abolished”.
Kurds were forced out of their homes as part of Saddam Hussein’s arabization of multicultural areas. However, another significant minority, the Turkmen, say they believe there has been a Kurdification of the areas since 2003.
“We have confidence that Kirkuk is geographically and historically a Kurdish city but we accepted article 140 so that the issue would be settled through law,” said Barzani.
“But this does not mean that Kirkuk will be only for Kurds. We will make Kirkuk a paradigm for peaceful coexistence between ethnic and religious communities.”
The struggle for control of Kirkuk province is one of high stakes. 40 per cent of Iraq’s oil reserves lie within 60km of the capital city.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
04/06/2011 15:44
Erbil, June 4 (AKnews)- Kurdistan Regional President Massoud Barzani said today that Kurds will not be interested in separation from Iraq as long as their rights, as laid out in the Iraqi constitution, are provided for.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Barzani was referring to article 140 of the constitution that makes provisions for the payment of reparations to Kurds forced from their homes under Saddam Hussein, a comprehensive census of ethnic groups and a referendum to decide if disputed areas should fall under the control of Kurdistan Regional Government.
The implementation was supposed to be completed by 2007, but political wranglings have brought it to a dead-lock, with the payment of some Kurdish families the only action taken.
“As long as Iraq is committed to the current constitution, we will not consider separating from Iraq and founding an independent state,” said Barzani in an interview with London-based paper, Sharq al-Awast.
However, there are “some violations” of the constitution, he said.
Barzani warned that if Baghdad wants wealthy Kurdistan to remain part of Iraq, the constitution needs to be “fully implemented”.
Today the Arab Council in Kirkuk – one of the disputed regions – said the article should be considered “dead and abolished”.
Kurds were forced out of their homes as part of Saddam Hussein’s arabization of multicultural areas. However, another significant minority, the Turkmen, say they believe there has been a Kurdification of the areas since 2003.
“We have confidence that Kirkuk is geographically and historically a Kurdish city but we accepted article 140 so that the issue would be settled through law,” said Barzani.
“But this does not mean that Kirkuk will be only for Kurds. We will make Kirkuk a paradigm for peaceful coexistence between ethnic and religious communities.”
The struggle for control of Kirkuk province is one of high stakes. 40 per cent of Iraq’s oil reserves lie within 60km of the capital city.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
