The Federal Court of Iraq will issue on Monday a final decision on the annulment of the independence referendum held in the Kurdistan region and disputed areas in Iraq, predicted Kurdish sources.
Local sources meanwhile stressed that the authority in Kurdistan “will announce its commitment to the court’s decision.”
After long discussions between the federal authority and the Kurdish leadership in the region, an understanding was reached to transfer the case to the Federal Court. This is similar to a recent decision by the Court pertaining to Iraq’s unity and territorial integrity, to which the territorial government has declared its commitment.
A Kurdish legal source confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that there was some kind of agreement between the federal and regional authorities to resolve the referendum crisis by turning the matter to the Federal Court.
According to available information, the court will issue a decision to cancel the referendum and the regional government will later announce its commitment to the decision, paving the way for negotiations after meeting the demands of Baghdad.
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, researcher and expert in international politics, Masoud Abdul Khaleq said: “There have been arrangements made for the annulment of the results of the referendum by the parties of the dissolved referendum council, [specifically members of the Kurdistan Democratic Party led by Massoud Barzani and its allies in the Patriotic Union and the Islamic Union], by signing a pledge to cancel the results of the vote, provided that this position is not broadcast to prevent embarrassing the Kurdish people.”
“It seems the Iraqi authority is satisfied with this proposal, so the process will take place through the Federal Court, which will issue the decision and then the regional government will declare its commitment to it,” he added.
