KDP leader reiterates his party's readiness for fair elections, dialogue with Baghdad

Shafaq News/ The president of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), Masoud Barzani, on Tuesday reiterated his party's commitment to conducting "fair and transparent" elections that reflect the will of the voters in the Kurdistan region.

The former president of the Kurdistan region made those remarks during a meeting with the French Ambassador to Iraq, Patrick Durel, in his residence in the Saladin resort near Erbil.

The meeting, according to a readout by the Barzani Headquarters, touched on the political situation in Iraq and the Middle East, as well as the internal political situation in the Kurdistan Region.

The French ambassador praised Baghdad and Erbil's efforts to address their differences via dialogue, reiterating his country's unwavering support for the rights of the Kurdistan Region and its people "within the framework of a federal Iraq".

The ambassador said that the government of his country believes that dialogue will also lead to the resolution of the internal differences inside the Kurdistan Region.

The readout said that Barzani thanked France for its "historical role in supporting the legitimate rights of the Kurdish people" who have sought "freedom, sovereignty, national rights, and Justice" in their "struggle against discrimination".

Barzani attributed the Baghdad-Erbil disputes to "constitutional violations" and Baghdad's failure to commit to "signed agreements", warning that such "threats might jeopardize the democratic process" and aim to weaken Kurdistan, "which is a constitutional region built by the sacrifices of our people over many decades."

The Kurdish leader told his guest that he rejects using the Region's share in the budget and the salaries of its public servants for political pressure, but he insisted that "dialogue is the best way to address the problems between the two sides."

Barzani said that the KDP is "always ready to conduct fair and transparent elections whose results reflect the true will of the voters, enabling all components to choose those who represent their will and voices without pre-determined designs or legal and technical constraints."

He urged the Kurdish parties to join hands to "serve, strengthen, and protect the Kurdistan Region" and take into consideration "the will of Kurdistan's people and its ultimate interests".