KDP, Gorran met in Sulaimani, no agreement reached

KDP, Gorran meeting in Sulaimani city, Iraqi Kurdistan, August 21, 2017. Photo: KNN

SULAIMANI, Iraq’s Kurdistan region,— A nearly five-hour meeting between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Change (Gorran) Movement has come to an end without reaching any agreement.

The two sides, which held a discussion on issues between both parties during the meeting, have not come to an agreement but the KDP has given a proposal to Gorran.

The meeting was the first face-to-face discussion between the two parties since the referendum on the independence of Kurdistan was announced.

A delegation from KDP arrives at Gorran’s main headquarter in Sulaimani on Monday to discuss several political issues.

Relations between the KDP and Gorran deteriorated in October 2015, mainly over the presidential term of Masoud Barzani. Barzani’s term as President of Kurdistan expired on August 20, 2015 but refused to step down and remains unofficially in office.

Barzani has closed the Kurdish parliament in October 2015 after his term expired and his KDP forces prevented Kurdistan parliament speaker, Yusuf Mohammed Sadiq, from Gorran Movement, from entering Erbil and Kurdistan PM Nechirvan Barzani has removed four members of his cabinet from the Change Movement and replaced them with KDP politicians.

KDP Spokesman Mahmoud Mohamad said during the meeting a proposal containing six points was provided to Gorran:

1. The normalization of relations between the KDP and Gorran.
2. The normalization of the process of parliament.
3. Support for the referendum process.
4. Support for the KRG government in finding a way to address the issues of the public’s livelihood.
5. The media should support the elections on time.
6. The sixth point is related to solving general issues.

Aras Waly, the member of Gorran’s National Council told KNN prior the meeting that Gorran will discuss with KDP about some issues which were underlined by National Council last week.

Aras Waly added that improving people’s livelihood and normalizing the legal institutions is Gorran’s top priority in any discussion.