Barazani urges recourse to constitution, supports Talabani as president

SULAIMANIYA / IraqiNews.com: Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barazani urged political blocs on Tuesday to have recourse to the nation’s permanent constitution in the formation of a new government, affirming that Jalal Talabani is the Kurds’ candidate for a second presidential term in office. “The country has witnessed some problems after the recent legislative elections regarding the formation of a cabinet and its lineup. We are very interested that a prime minister would be selected but above all there has to be recourse to the constitution and we are for the formation of a national partnership government,” Barazani said during the inauguration of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) congress on Tuesday. “The Kurds are not going to be part of the problems over the formation of a government. We are trying to bring the blocs’ views closer in light of our clear position against any attempts to marginalize any of Iraq’s groups,” the Kurdish leader added. Earlier on Tuesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki arrived in the Kurdish city of Sulaimaniya to attend ceremonies of the PUK congress inaugural session. Maliki had arrived in Arbil, the capital of the semi-autonomous Iraq Kurdistan region, on Monday and met with the region’s president Barazani. The PUK will convene a congress in Sulaimaniya, where its leader, Jalal Talabani, the Iraqi president, will run again for the party chairmanship. The PUK, established in 1967, had convened two congresses, the first in 1992 after the uprising in Iraqi Kurdistan, and the second in 2001. Barazani praised the “role played by Talabani in brining closer the views of all political groups and spare the country further problems.” He asserted that “Talabani would be the Kurds’ candidate for a second presidential term in office in Iraq,” stressing the need for “peaceful coexistence and unity to fulfill the people’s aspirations.” AmR (S)/SR 3