Kurdistan Regional

Kurdistan Regional (738)

Kurdistan holds peaceful federal and provincial elections amid high turnout

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (KRG.org) – Elections for the Iraqi parliament and the provincial councils of Erbil, Slemani and Duhok went ahead peacefully and with a high turnout ‎in the Kurdistan Region.

According to initial estimates from various media outlets, 70% of eligible voters cast their ballot in Kirkuk, 73% cast their ballot in Duhok, 77% cast their ballot in Erbil and 73% cast their ballot in Slemani. Voting began at 7am and ended at 6pm and there was no curfew in the region and no security incidents were reported. Iraqi airspace was closed from 12 PM on 28 April until 6 PM today. Voting was conducted through the use of electronic cards.

The Kurdistan Regional Government has worked closely with the Independent High Electoral Commission of Iraq in the run-up to the election to ensure a free and fair vote in the Kurdistan Region. There were over 1250 local and over 280 international observers monitoring the elections in Kurdistan, including teams from the United Nations, many of the consulates based in Erbil, the Arab League, and foreign and domestic non-governmental organisations.

The US Secretary of State John Kerry said, “Millions of Iraqis courageously voted today and reaffirmed not just their commitment to democracy, but their determination to achieve a more secure and peaceful future. Iraqis from every ethnic and religious group, and from all 18 provinces, [voted] in an election critical to advancing the vision of a democratic, united, federal, and pluralistic Iraq as defined in the Iraqi constitution.”

Other governments also issued statements supporting the electoral turnout. British Foreign Secretary William Hague said, “Despite the serious challenges that Iraq faces, it is inspiring to see that millions of Iraqis have seized the opportunity to choose their new government and I pay tribute to their courage and commitment to the future of their country.”

The Special Representative of the Secretary General for Iraq and Head of the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), Nickolay Mladenov, said whilst visiting a polling station today that “Iraqis face tight security measures, yet are determined to vote in an election, crucial to democratic transition.”

Iraq’s federal elections will determine the composition of the federal parliament and eventually lead to the formation of the next Iraqi government. Kurdistan Region’s provincial elections will determine the governing councils of the Region’s governorates, which will be tasked with choosing governors for each province. IHEC will release official results for both the federal and provincial elections after the votes have been counted and registered complaints regarding the voting process have been investigated.

Slovakian Ambassador visits Kurdistan

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq – (KRG.org) – The Head of the Department of Foreign Relations (DFR), Minister Falah Mustafa met today with the Slovakian Ambassador to Iraq, Mr. Miloslav Nad to discuss furthering bilateral relations between the Slovak Republic and Kurdistan.

The meeting was also attended by the Assistant Head of the DFR, Ms. Siham Jabali and the Honorary Consul of the Slovak Republic, Mr. Ahmed Gerdi.

Ambassador Nad was pleased to be in Kurdistan and commended the KRG on its efforts in developing the region, and added his country’s desire to bolster bilateral relations across many sectors.

He spoke about Slovakian efforts to grant visas to the people of Kurdistan through the office of a partner country in Erbil by the end of this year. In addition, he informed the Minister of his government’s willingness to upgrade their diplomatic representation in Kurdistan in the near future.

Minister Mustafa welcomed the Ambassador’s visit and reiterated the KRG’s willingness to consolidate its relations with Central and Eastern Europe and stated “we can learn and benefit from the expertise of countries such as Slovakia in various fields.”

The Minister went on to brief the delegation on the developments between Erbil and Baghdad, highlighting that the upcoming parliamentary elections in Iraq and the provincial elections in Kurdistan, scheduled to take place in less than two weeks, which would define the future political landscape of the country. He added that the KRG is committed to the Iraqi Constitution, a democratic system and genuine partnership.

Finally, both sides discussed the upcoming Global Security Forum (GLOBSEC 2014) scheduled for May in Bratislava, to which Minister Mustafa has been invited. Minister Mustafa’s attendance will help boost KRG’s engagement with Central and Eastern Europe - consolidating relations with the EU member states goes in line with the KRG's open door policy.

Kurdistan welcomes British business, KRG officials tell trade association members

London, UK (UK.KRG.org) - The Kurdistan Region is open for business and British companies are welcomed, Kurdish officials told members of British Expertise, a leading trade association at a seminar last week.

Minister Falah Mustafa, Head of the Kurdistan Regional Government's Department of Foreign Relations, and Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman, the KRG's High Representative to the UK, were joined by Alex Lambeth, Director of British Expertise, in highlighting the business opportunities and investor-friendly laws in the region.

The seminar was part of a series of meetings by Minister Mustafa who was in the UK on an official visit. The Minister was accompanied by Siham Mamand, the Assistant Head of the DFR, and High Representative Abdul Rahman during the visit which included meetings with British officials, parliamentarians, journalists and think tanks.

Minister Mustafa told the seminar at British Expertise, 'There is huge potential in many areas of the economy and we like to do business with the British. Foreign Secretary William Hague recognised this when he made the decision to increase the number of staff at the British Consulate in Erbil a few years ago while other British diplomatic missions were facing cuts.'

The minister outlined the key areas the KRG is promoting - tourism, agriculture and manufacturing - so that the economy is not over reliant on oil.

He also updated the meeting on political developments, relations with Turkey, the Syrian refugee crisis and the forthcoming Iraqi elections.

Ms Abdul Rahman spoke about the Kurdish economy's rapid growth over the past decade, which has been achieved thanks to high levels of security, clear economic policies that focus on services such as the provision of electricity, and the development of an oil and gas sector from scratch in the past seven years. She urged Britain to make visas access easier for business visitors, to start direct flights and for British ministers to lead trade delegations to Kurdistan in the same way as other European countries do.

British Expertise members had a range of questions, including on Kurdistan's trade relations with Scotland and Northern Ireland, the KRG's procurement methods and the impact of Syrian refugees on the economy

KRG Minister calls for Kurdistan-UK partnership to grow

London, UK (UK.KRG.org) - Britain and Kurdistan Region have a partnership that should be nurtured, was the message of Kurdistan Regional Government Minister Falah Mustafa during an official visit to the UK last week.

Minister Mustafa, Head of the Department of Foreign Relations, who was accompanied by Siham Mamand, Assistant Head of the DFR, and Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman, the KRG High Representative to the UK, met officials, members of the opposition, parliamentarians, journalists and think tanks to deliver the message.

In a meeting with Hugh Robertson, the UK's Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Mr Mustafa said, 'We view our relationship with Britain as a partnership of choice, in education, culture, politics and economics. And we want to broaden the areas of cooperation.'

Minister Mustafa called for direct flights between the two countries and more regular visits by ministers on both sides.

During the meeting, the ministers discussed the forthcoming Iraq-wide elections which are scheduled to take place on April 30. Minister Mustafa said it was important that countries like the UK, which have a history in Iraq, continue to support timely elections and the neutrality and authority of the Independent High Electoral Commission.

They also discussed the current political crisis between Baghdad and Erbil and the rise in violence in Anbar which has led to 30,000 people fleeing from there to Kurdistan. This is in addition to the 260,000 Syrian refugees who have taken shelter in the region.

The ministers discussed the problems in Syria and the need to provide aid to people inside the country as well as refugees in neighbouring countries.

The two ministers later made keynote speeches at a ceremony organised by the KRG UK Representation and the Kurdish community to honour those who were killed in the Anfal genocide campaign.

Anfal was an eight-stage killing operation organised by Saddam Hussein's regime that killed 182,000 people in 1988. This was the peak of a decades-long genocide against the Kurds who are now calling for Britain and other countries to recognise it.

Minister Robertson said at the ceremony, 'There is no doubt that Iraq’s Kurds suffered a terrible injustice under Saddam Hussein. It is important that we reflect on the suffering caused, extend our sympathy to all those affected and reaffirm our belief that no group should be allowed to suffer that fate again.'

This was the first time that a British minister had attended such a ceremony and its significance was acknowledged by Minister Mustafa who said, 'It is a compassionate gesture and one that carries huge significance for the people of Kurdistan as we continue in our struggle for recognition of the Kurdish genocide and the 182,000 lives lost to it.'

At the ceremony, High Representative Abdul Rahman, said, ‘The world must learn the lesson of the Kurdish genocide which is that dictators have to be stopped. Failing to tackle dictators only emboldens their greed and violence.'

Kurdistan Region President Meets Ayad Allawi

Salahaddin, Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRP.org) – Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani met with Ayad Allawi on Tuesday in his office in Salahaddin. The two discussed the political and security developments in the country, including the situation in the Anbar province.

They also discussed disputes between Erbil and Baghdad, and the upcoming parliamentary elections due later this month. Both underlined that the political process in Iraq has grinded to a halt and that there is a need for an comprehensive overhaul of the process.

President Barzani Meets US Ambassador Beecroft in Salahaddin

Salahaddin, Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRP.org) – President Masoud Barzani met with U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Mr. Steven Beecroft today for discussions on the current political and security situation in Iraq.

The US Ambassador expressed his concern about the deteriorating security in the country, especially in the Anbar province.

In their meeting, the two discussed the upcoming parliamentary elections, due on April 30th, and its potential implications on the political process in the country. Both expressed their hope that the election results will lead to a diffusion of the challenges and many crises facing the country.

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