UPDATE - No region can secede from Iraq: Federal court ruling

UPDATES WITH PM’S STATEMENT FOLLOWING VERDICT

By Ibrahim Salih

BAGHDAD (AA) - Iraq’s constitution does not allow for the secession of any part of the country from the Iraqi state, Iraq’s Supreme Federal Court ruled Monday.

In a statement, court spokesman Iyas al-Samouk stressed that Iraq’s national charter expressly calls for the preservation of the country’s unity and territorial integrity.

Iraq’s federal court is responsible for settling disputes between the central government in Baghdad and the country’s regions and provinces, including northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region.

The court’s rulings are final and cannot be contested by higher judicial authorities.

Following the verdict, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s office called on all parties to “totally abide by the constitution and all Federal Court decisions”.

“We call on the region to clearly state its commitment to non-separation or independence [of any province or sub-region] from Iraq,” the statement read.

On Sept. 25, Iraqis in areas under the control of the semi-autonomous Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) -- and in a handful of “disputed” areas -- voted on whether to declare regional independence from the Iraqi state.

The illegitimate referendum was heavily criticized at the time by most regional and international actors, with many warning that it would distract from Iraq’s ongoing fight against terrorism and further destabilize the region.

In the weeks following the poll, Iraqi government forces moved into several parts of the country “disputed” between Baghdad and the Erbil-based KRG, including the oil-rich Kirkuk province.