President Barzani: The Kurdistan Democratic Party Remains Loyal to Its People, Its Martyrs’ Blood, and the Peshmerga’s Sacrifices

ARK News.. As part of his visit to the Badinan region, President Masoud Barzani met with representatives of various social groups and community leaders in the independent Zakho administration.
In a speech during the meeting, President Barzani described Zakho as “our heart and soul,” praising the city’s great sacrifices for the freedom of Kurdistan and its fight against ISIS. He stressed that “we are indebted to Zakho,” and that it is the duty of everyone to serve the city and all of Kurdistan without discrimination.
Barzani expressed satisfaction with the progress and services achieved in Zakho, yet emphasized the need to continue improving them. “The changes the city has seen in the past two years are clear and very beautiful,” he said.
Addressing the upcoming elections, Barzani reaffirmed the KDP’s deep confidence in the electoral process, saying: “We want the people to decide their destiny. The Kurdistan Democratic Party has always been the leading force in all elections, and in the upcoming Iraqi parliamentary elections, we intend once again to demonstrate our strength.”
He warned, however, that plots against Kurdistan continue. “If in the past they took the form of wars and military aggression, today they come through drugs, spreading despair, weakening belonging, cutting salaries, and attempting to starve citizens. It is everyone’s responsibility to confront such conspiracies and not allow our society to fall into despair or addiction,” he said.
Touching on Iraq’s political and administrative situation, President Barzani recalled the 2002 London Conference of the Iraqi opposition, where three principals were agreed upon — partnership, balance, and consensus — to govern post-Saddam Iraq. “Unfortunately, these principles were never implemented,” he said. “Even after the permanent constitution was drafted and approved by the Iraqi people, it was not properly upheld. As a result, Iraq faces all these problems today. Unless the country is governed based on those three principles, no solution will ever be achieved — history has proven that no single party can rule Iraq alone.”
President Barzani reiterated that the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) remains faithful to its people, the blood of its martyrs, the tears of the martyrs’ mothers, and the struggles and sacrifices of the Peshmerga forces.
He added that the party works for both the present and future of the Kurdish people — not only politically, but also through reconstruction efforts, the strengthening of economic infrastructure, and the development of the health, education, water, electricity, agriculture, and irrigation sectors.
Barzani also spoke about Kurdistan’s rich culture of coexistence, emphasizing that “Kurdistan belongs to all its components” and that this culture must be preserved.
Sharing a historical example from the Anfal campaign against the Barzanis, he recalled how residents of Bedyal, a Christian Assyrian village, were arrested along with the Barzanis. When the security officer told them they could leave because they were Christians, they replied: “We are also from Barzan, and our fate is tied to the Barzanis.” As a result, they faced the same tragic fate as their Barzani neighbors.
Concluding his speech, President Barzani said: “Our hope lies in the continued support of our people. Kurdistan must remain one region, with one parliament, one government, and one unified Peshmerga force.”

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