Barazani to meet winner blocs after Nowruz

ARBIL /Iraqi News Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barazani will meet with the winner blocs in the Iraqi parliamentary elections after the Nowruz holiday, according to the region’s presidential cabinet chief on Friday. “The meeting aims to enhance Kurdish alliances and ranks to take a unified stance in Baghdad and reach a mechanism of cooperation and coordination with all parties,” Fouad Hussein told Iraqi News. “The region president is taking into consideration the priorities of the Kurdish people,” said Hussein. He added that the planned meeting will focus on the constitutional rights of the people of Kurdistan and their status in the new Iraqi government. Nowruz, which means New Day, is the traditional ancient Iranian festival and also the start of Iranian New Year. Celebrated and observed by Iranian people and related cultural continent and has spread in many other parts of the world, Nowruz marks the first day of spring and is celebrated on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox, which usually occurs on March 21. Nowruz was originally a Zoroasterian festival, and holiest of all, and as such has unclear date of origin but was “probably” invented by Zoroaster himself. AmR (S) 1