Masrour Barzani: The Kurdistan Democratic Party Has the Right to Determine Who Holds the Iraqi Presidency

Welat TV – Erbil

Amid rapid regional developments and growing complexities across the Middle East, Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, in an exclusive interview with Sky News Arabia, shed light on the latest political and security developments, outlining the Kurdistan Region’s vision for achieving stability in the region.

At the outset of the interview, Barzani stressed the importance of respecting the will of the Iraqi people, stating:
“It is essential to respect the voice and will of the Iraqi people. Elections were held and citizens cast their votes; therefore, the election of the Speaker of Parliament and the Prime Minister should reflect the realities and aspirations of the people. Sovereignty is of paramount importance and must be respected.”

He noted that some of Iraq’s friends have demonstrated respect for the country’s sovereignty, while emphasizing that Iraq’s relations with the United States and the international community remain highly significant.

Barzani added:
“We respect the Shiite component, and as you know, selecting the Prime Minister falls within the responsibility of the Shiite component, as has been the case in many previous elections.”

He further explained:
“We believe that the Shiite bloc bears primary responsibility for nominating a candidate for the post of Prime Minister, and we, in turn, respect their decision and their nominee.”

Regarding the presidency, Barzani said:
“The Kurds choose the candidate for the presidency of the republic, who becomes president of all Iraq, not just of the Kurds. At the same time, the speakership of parliament is allocated to the Sunni component, while the selection of the Prime Minister falls to the Shiite component.”

The Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region also pointed out that the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) secured the highest number of votes nationwide, exceeding one million votes, making it the largest party in Iraq.

He added:
“This means that more than half of the population of the Kurdistan Region voted for the Kurdistan Democratic Party. Therefore, if we apply the same logic followed by the Sunni and Shiite components in selecting their candidates for sovereign positions, the Kurdistan Democratic Party has the right to determine who occupies the position of President of the Republic.”

Barzani went on to say that the KDP seeks to respect the will and interests of the Kurdish majority, while adhering to agreements among political forces to nominate a consensus candidate for the presidency.

He concluded by stating:
“Accordingly, we are obliged to follow a fair and just democratic process, by electing the candidate through the Kurdistan Parliament.”

276