Shafaq News/ Masoud Barzani, a Kurdish leader, conveyed to Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Iraq, that "agreements are being flouted in Iraq", stressing that excluding other ethnicities from parliament would render it fragile and incomplete.
Barzani echoed the Kurdistan Democratic Party's stance, asserting that "the Federal Court has supplanted legislative authorities, issuing political rulings without respecting the Kurdistan Region's autonomy."
He added that "denying representation to ethnic groups in parliament deals a major blow to the hard-fought coexistence the people of Kurdistan have strived for," stressing the importance of recognizing the rights of diverse ethnicities for an inclusive parliament.
President Barzani insisted on "conducting elections reflecting the Kurdistan people's will, free from external interference and preconceived outcomes."
"The Kurdistan Democratic Party laid the groundwork for legitimacy and elections in the region, transitioning from revolutionary to legal legitimacy in 1991," he said.
Barzani also noted that "agreements are being breached in Iraq," lamenting, "In Baghdad, the livelihoods of Kurdistan's people were adversely affected, and salaries were weaponized to destabilize the region."
The Kurdish leader called for "addressing technical issues for fair, transparent elections monitored by the international community."
Hennis-Plasschaert acknowledged Barzani's concerns, stating she had been aware of the Kurdistan Democratic Party's willingness to participate in timely elections.
She said the Party's crucial role in elections, as excluding them would definitely complicate the process.
Regarding salary disparities, Hennis-Plasschaert assured efforts to negotiate with the Iraqi government for equitable treatment of Kurdistan's public servants.
Om elections in the Kurdistan Region, she proposed UN assistance in resolving technical obstacles and asserted the urgent need to protect democracy and regional stability.