Baghdad attempts to hinder Kurdistan referendum via constitutional amendments: Leader

Baghdad (BasNews) Iraqi government is trying hard to prevent Kurdistan Region from holding a referendum for its independence from Baghdad and one of the ways that Baghdad may resort to is constitutional changes, according to an official.

Mohammed Baziyani, who leads the Reform and Development Movement, told BasNews on Monday that there are attempts for changing the constitution in order to abort the Kurdistan referendum, especially after a recent statement by Hezbollah General Secretary Hassan Nasrallah.

Nasrallah suggested that the Iraqi constitution be amended and Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani be assigned as the Iraqi president.

There should be no changes to the current constitution without the consent of all the three major components of Iraq, i.e. Shi’ites, Sunnis and Kurds, and “otherwise this is a coup against the consensus principle,” said Baziyani.

The official warned the Kurdish people to be on alert for the “tricks” which did not allow for the dwellers of the city of Ramadi to declare a region of their own under the constitutional articles.

Baziyani added that the people of Basrah province also demanded a region of their own and faced the same fate like Ramadi.