SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Co-president Bafel Talabani said on Wednesday that the political process in the Kurdistan Region should be changed and the parties should reconcile people at a conference on unity and constitution in Erbil.
The “Kurdistan Region of Iraq: Unity and Constitution” Conference held by the University of Kurdistan-Hewler kicked off at in Erbil on Wednesday, with the participation of senior Kurdish officials and leaders as well as the U.N. envoy to Iraq Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert.
“If we are not united, if we cannot write a Constitution which is not for the parties, but our people, we should not do it,” Talabani said at the conference.
“Let’s agree on something here and make our people happy. Let’s agree on this after the election all of us, all the political parties, sit together and agree on one vote. This will make our people happy. Let’s together as Kurdish people go back to Baghdad as one person,” Talabani told the conference’s attendants.
Talabani further said having a constitution required change in the political process in the Kurdistan Region.
“if we don’t reach an agreement, if we aren’t united, we will suffer a big loss,” he added.
“We have to reconcile our people. We have to have a program. The Constitution is very important. It requires serious works and study,” he noted.
Regarding elections in Iraq, the PUK co-leader called on the parties to reach an agreement at the conference to participate in the elections in the diplomatic ways.
Talabani further said there were leaders of six political parties at the conference, which will facilitate reaching an agreement. “This is an easy job,” he added, referring to agreements between the parties.
“Now, thousands of people have boycotted the elections because they don’t have trust in us. Let’s do something today to make our people and nation happy,” he said.
*This story was updated at 02:19 p.m. EBL time
