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Nechirvan Barzani set to remain prime
minister of Kurdistan region
8.1.2008
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January 8, 2008
Erbil-Hewler, Kurdistan Region 'Iraq', --
Kurdish leaders have agreed to keep Nechirvan
Barzani as prime minister for another two years
within the framework of a power sharing arrangement
in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
Nechirvan Barzani's term in office ended on January
1, 2008 and he was supposed to handover the prime
minister's office to a member of the Patriotic Union
of Kurdistan (PUK) which is led by Jalal Talabani.
However, after a summit meeting between Talabani,
who is the president of Iraq,www.ekurd.net
and Massoud Barzani the
president of the Kurdistan region and the chairman
of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) on Saturday
in Dukan near Sulaimaniyah the two leaders decided
to keep Nechirvan Barzani as prime minister for
another term and also allow Adnan Mufti who is the
regional parliament speaker from the PUK to remain
in office.
According to the original arrangement Nechirvan
Barzani was supposed to be replaced by a PUK member
and Adnan Mufti by a KDP official. |
Nechirvan Barzani, Prime
Minister of
Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) |
The New Anatolian learnt
that the leading candidate for the prime minister's
post in Erbil was Dr. Barham Saleh who is currently
the deputy prime minister of Iraq for economic
affairs. The Kurdish leadership did not want to
bring Dr. Saleh from Baghdad and give up an
important cabinet post in the central government.
The Kurds have three important portfolios in the
Baghdad cabinet besides the deputy prime minister's
post including the Foreign Ministry which is led by
Hoshyar Zebari.
The PUK felt the prime minister's job in Erbil, the
Iraqi Kurdistan's capital, is extremely important
and Nechirvan Barzani who has a full grasp of the
problems should stay on during this sensitive
period.
The coalition government in Erbil is primarily
comprised of KDP and PUK ministers but also has
members from other smaller parties, tribes and
ethnic groups like the Turkmens thus making the
number of portfolios mushroom to 47.Turkmen's have
two seats including the ministry of industry and the
state ministry in charge of Turkmen affairs.
The Kurds face major challenges in the upcoming
days.
They are at odds with Baghdad over oil contracts.
Baghdad was irked in the summer when the Kurds
passed their own oil bill and started handing out
contracts to foreign companies for oil prospecting.
Baghdad opposed these moves and declared the
contracts null and void.
The Kurds say they were fed up with the delays in
new the oil law in Baghdad which tied their hands
and legislated their own bill to allow the
development of the oil resources of the relatively
stable and secure northern regions of Iraq.www.ekurd.net
They say the oil
extracted would be sold in the name of Iraq and the
revenues will go to Baghdad.
Iraqi Arabs say this move is designed to create more
autonomy for the Kurds bordering on independence and
undermines the unity of the country and the
integrity of the central government.
Nechirvan Barzani has visited Baghdad before the New
Year but despite intensive talks with the central
government and the Shiite leadership has returned to
Erbil empty handed.
The Kurds also want the Baghdad government to
finance the peshmerga forces in Kurdistan region
'northern Iraq' who they say are the main defense
force of the country in Kurdistan region bordering
Turkey, Syria and Iran.
They are also furious that the referendum for the
future of Kirkuk was not held by the end of 2007 as
stipulated in the Iraqi Constitution and about
suggestions floating in Baghdad that now that the
polls were not held Article 140 of the constitution
on Kirkuk is null.
The Kurds agreed to a United Nations brokered deal
that the referendum be delayed for six months.
The issue will again be raised with Baghdad and
Kurdish leaders want Nechirvan Barzani to do the
job.
Barzani gave signals at the end of 2007 that he is
prepared to give up his post as prime minister but
observers said this was a tactical move to
strengthen his own position knowing that the PUK did
not have anyone viable to replace him.
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