PUK denies reports over nominating successor for Talabani

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan denied the reports over nominating any successor for the Iraqi President Jalal Talabni whether for his partisan or presidential post.

A statement by the PUK cited on Sunday that “The reports that talked about listing names to succeed Talabani are fully groundless,” noting that “The President of Kurdistan Region, Masoud Barzani, stressed during his latest visit to Sulaimaniya that “Talabani is still the President of Iraq.”

The statement quoted the legal expert, Tariq Harb as saying “According to the civil service law, Talabani still enjoys his post as President where he is going on a sick leave which is right granted for any employee or president and the law and the constitution did not specify the period of the sick leave.”

The Presidency office has denied on last Saturday what was published by the French Figaro Newspaper which reported that Talabani’s health worsened again, stressing that his response to the remedy is very good and faster than expected.