Iraqi parliament speaker defends visit to Kurd region

By Muayyad al-Tarfi

BAGHDAD (AA) - Iraqi Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri on Monday defended his recent trip to Erbil, saying the visit was aimed at defusing the ongoing political crisis caused by last month’s illegitimate referendum on Kurdish regional independence.

“My visit was intended to find opportunities for finding a solution to the crisis and initiating dialogue between the concerned parties,” al-Jabouri said at a session of parliament attended by Kurdish lawmakers.

On Sunday, the parliamentary speaker visited Erbil, the administrative capital of northern Iraq’s Kurdish Regional Government (KRG), where he met with KRG President Massoud Barzani.

The visit was met criticism by some Iraqi MPs, who complained that al-Jabouri had taken the step without first consulting the assembly.

Critics were also quick to point out that, in the wake of the poll, Baghdad had vowed not to hold talks with the KRG before the latter annulled the referendum results.

On Sept. 25, Iraqis in KRG-held areas -- and in several areas disputed between Baghdad and Erbil -- voted on whether or not to declare independence from Iraq.

According to results announced by the KRG, almost 93 percent of those who cast ballots voted in favor of independence.

The referendum had faced sharp opposition from most regional and international actors (including the U.S., Turkey and Iran), who had warned that the poll would distract from Iraq’s ongoing fight against terrorism and further destabilize the region.

Addressing MPs’ criticisms on Monday, al-Jabouri said there could be “no compromise” over Iraq’s unity and territorial integrity, adding that the current dispute between Baghdad and Erbil “threatens the existence of the [Iraqi] state”.

“This crisis cannot be resolved without reference to the [Iraqi] constitution,” he added.

The parliamentary speaker went on to note that he had closely coordinated his trip to Erbil with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and other top-level officials in Baghdad.