Nechirvan Barzani elected Kurdistan Region president

KDP spokesperson Mahmud Mohammed expressed regret over the PUK not participating in the session. 

“Unfortunately, PUK friends reneged on the agreements and didn’t take part in the parliament meeting to elect a president for the Region without taking into account the sensitive situation of the Region, ignoring the expectations of the people of Kurdistan and the will of the nation,” he wrote on his Facebook page on Tuesday.

This is while “we need a strong government and unity in Kurdistan,” Mohammed implored.

“In light of the PUK reneging on the agreements and its efforts to waste time in the past several months, one can unfortunately suspect that they had right from the beginning aimed the political process to be delayed, paralyzed and not reach a result,” he added.
Kirkuk and the KDP’s failure to agree to the appointment of a PUK governor to the disputed province remains a key stumbling block. 

This didn’t stop the PUK’s Qubad Talabani, the Region’s deputy prime minister, congratulating Nechirvan on his election.

“I am proud to have worked alongside him for five difficult years. I am confident that his competence and vision will guarantee success in this challenging responsibility, part of which would include putting the Kurdish house in order,” he tweeted. 

New Generation, meanwhile, boycotted the whole process, arguing the presidency law does not serve democracy or the parliamentary system. 

Omed Khoshnaw, head of the KDP parliamentary bloc, told a press conference immediately following the vote that the PUK boycott would have “negative consequences”. 

“The process will not stop. We elected the president and we will form the government,” he said. 

The president-elect's reaction

Barzani issued a statement following his election thanking the parliament for placing confidence in him as president.

“I reassure the beloved people of Kurdistan that the Presidency of the Region will be an umbrella for unity, bringing together all the political parties of Kurdistan and its various ethnic and religious communities for the sake of a peaceful coexistence of the Kurdistani nation,” Barzani said.

With issues still unresolved between Baghdad such as the disputed areas, oil, and Peshmerga-Iraqi forces cooperation, the president-elect said the Iraqi constitution will guide his work. 

“Social peace, guaranteeing social and individual rights, will be our main aim, through resolving all the problems between the Region and the federal government by dialogue within the framework of the constitution,” he added.

Barzani wants to continue in his endeavors to strengthen Erbil’s ties regionally and internationally.

Our main objective will also be to “protect friendly and strong relations with neighboring countries and the region, and continuing to strengthen the position and weight of the Kurdistan Region in the region and globally,” he said. 

Although predominately home to ethnic Kurds who are Sunni Muslim, the Kurdistan Region is one of the most diverse areas of the Middle East home to Arabs, Turkmen, Yezidis, Christians, and other ethno-religious groups. 

“The Kurdistan Region is home to all the different communities of Kurdistan. And the Presidency of the Region will strive to respond to their will and rights without any discrimination,” Barzani said.