N.Iraq Kurds refuse to nullify illegitimate poll

By Idris Okuducu

ERBIL, Iraq (AA) – Two major Kurdish political parties in northern Iraq on Sunday refused to nullify the results of last month’s illegitimate referendum, a Kurdish official said.

The news follow a meeting in Sulaymaniyah between Iraqi President Fuad Masum and the two parties, the KDP of Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) President Masoud Barzani and the PUK.

“KDP/PUK reject any demands to nullify the referendum results. Refuse preconditions,” Hemein Hawrami, a top aide to Barzani, posted in English on Twitter.

The Kurdish region is ready “to reach peaceful resolution for current standoff in all area. [And] Rejecting military option, but ready to defend,” Hawrami said, referring to the situation in Kirkuk, an area disputed between the KRG and Iraq’s central government in Baghdad.

He added: “There will not be any unilateral negotiation with Baghdad by either PUK or KDP. If there be any negotiation with Baghdad, it will be a joint delegation representing all Kurdistan parties.”

The Sept. 25 illegitimate referendum was strongly opposed by most regional and international actors -- including the U.S., Turkey, and Iran -- who warned that the poll would distract from Iraq’s fight against terrorism and further destabilize the region.