URGENT / KDP holds its 13th Conference

ARBIL / IraqiNews.com: The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) held its 13th Conference in Arbil with the participation of 1,350 members, amid broad participation by a large number of leading Iraqi and Kurdish officials. The Conference, held in the main hall of the Arbil International Fair, was attended by Iraqi President, Jalal Talabani, Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, Parliament Speaker, Usama al-Nujeifi, Kurdistan Region’s Prime Minister, Barham Ahmed Saleh, Leader of al-Iraqiya Bloc, Iyad Allawi, Chairman of the Supreme Islamic Council, Ammar al-Hakim, the Leader in al-Iraqiya Bloc, Saleh al-Mutlaq and large number of leading government officials and outstanding personalities. The opening of the conference also witnessed reciting of verses from the Holy Quran, followed by a one-minute silence to commemorate the spirits of Kurdish martyrs, the playing of both the Iraqi National Anthem and the Kurdistan Anthem, whilst a flower  bouquet was laid under a large photo of the Founder of KDP, Late Kurdish Leader, Mulla Mustapha Barzani. The 1st KDP‘s conference was held in Baghdad on August 16, 1946. It is now led by Kurdistan President, Massoud Barzani, and elected Mulla Mustapha Barzani as Chairman of the Party at that time. A KDP‘s media official, Ari Hersin, had told reporters the Conference would carry out a radical change in the Party’s frame, as its current frame “does not reflect the current epoch, including the increase in the percentage of women and young people in its leading council.” SKH/SR 22