SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani said on Monday he had proposed a “political initiative” to resolve issues and provide a suitable environment for the political process in Iraq.
Barzani called on Kurdistan Region president Nechirvan Barzani, a KDP deputy leader, and Iraqi parliament speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi to visit Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in Najaf and consult on how to remove obstacles facing the current situation.
“I hope that this initiative will have positive results and be in the interest of Iraq and all of its components,” Barzani said in a statement.
The Region’s president and Halbousi paid a visit to Najaf to meet Sadr, the biggest winner in the Oct. 10 election which dealt a crushing blow to the Iran camp.
Barzani’s advisor Arafat Karam said the KDP leader had proposed to Sadr to allow the election of Nouri al-Maliki, former prime minister, as the vice president.
The talks were to ease tensions between Sadr and Coordination Framework, including Iran-backed parties.
Barzani’s initiative came after Iranian officials held a meeting with KDP officials to discuss the formation of a new cabinet and the post of Iraqi president.
The supreme judicial council will meet on Monday to decide on the names nominated for the Iraqi presidency. The parliament will later announce nominees.
As many as 40 individuals have been nominated for the position, including independent nominees.
Dozens of Iraqis have been protesting against the KDP’s nomination of Hoshiar Zebari as its candidate for the position of Iraqi president.
In 2016, Iraqi parliament sacked Zebari from his post as finance minister over alleged corruptions and misuse of public funds. Zebari denied the accusations.
“The place of corrupt people are prisons, not the Republican Palace,” a protester told Esta Media Network outside the federal court in Baghdad.
“He is corrupt and is not fit to rule Iraq. Zebari doesn’t deserve the post,” a woman told Esta Media Network during the protests.
*This story was updated at 2:13 p.m. EBL time
