Kurdistan News: Iraq’s top court orders suspension of referendum
Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) Kurdistan News: Iraq’s top court has approved a petition by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in which he asked to suspend a Kurdistan Region referendum on independence from Iraq.
According to Abadi’s office, the Federal Court accepted the petition on the unconstitutionality of the referendum slated for September 25th. It added that the court approved to halt arrangements for the vote.
Kurdistan News
Kurdistan gained autonomous governance based on the 2005 constitution, but is still considered a part of Iraq. The region was created in 1970 based on an agreement with the Iraqi government, ending years of conflicts.
Since Kurdish authorities scheduled the vote, they have defied calls from Baghdad to postpone the measure. Baghdad’s government has warned against the move repeatedly, with Abadi warning lately of an army intervention if a “yes” vote results in violence. The central government has argued that the measure could throw Iraq into more chaos and distract attention from the fight against Islamic State militants.
Both Baghdad and Erbil have engaged in a political war of words as Erbil declared the inclusion of disputed territories as voting constituencies, most notably oil-rich Kirkuk.