AM:02:56:18/05/2022
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SULAIMANI — Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert,
the head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), urged
leaders in the Kurdistan Region to bridge the political divide ahead of October’s
parliamentary elections, stating divisions across party lines have only
worsened over the past year.
Plasschaert spoke out
against the "toxicity of political infighting” in the Kurdistan Region during a
briefing at the UN Security Council on Tuesday (May 17).
She also expressed grave
concern over the political deadlock in Baghdad, the security situation in
regards to Turkey and Iran’s armed incursions on Iraqi territory, the recent
hostilities in Sinjar and the current tensions between Erbil and the Iraqi
federal government.
The UNAMI chief said
Kurdish leadership should concentrate on solutions for all components in the
Kurdistan Region – Erbil, Duhok and Sulaymaniyah.
"It is utmost
importance to level the electoral playing field – with all political actors,
big or small, enjoying equal opportunities,” she stated.
Plasschaert described
the current dialogue between Baghdad and Erbil over the Kurdistan Region’s oil
sales as "a sorry pattern of ad-hoc negotiations.”
Tension renewed
between the federal government and Erbil following the federal supreme court’s verdict
in February that ruled the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) oil and gas
law unconstitutional.
Plasschaert said she
had spoken with both sides over the issue and believed there was a way out, but
insisted an "institutionalized” resolution was necessary.
The lack of an institutional
mechanism and internal rivalries on both sides hindered a resolution over Erbil
and Baghdad’s oil issue, Plasschaert said adding Baghdad’s failure to form a government
seven months after last year’s elections has come at a steep price.
"It excuses a
political deadlock while non-state armed groups fire rockets with apparent
freedom and impunity,” she declared. "It excuses a political stalemate while
ordinary people suffer.
Speaking on Iran’s
ballistic missile attack on Erbil in March, the UNAMI chief said Tehran and
Baghdad had chosen dialogue and would not escalate the matter. She referred to Turkey
and Iran’s cross-border bombardments in the Kurdistan Region as a "very risky
way to advance interests” that weakens Iraq.
Responding to the
situation in Sinjar, Plasschaert said she continued to encourage the
implementation of the Sinjar Agreement signed in 2020. However, she insisted a
stable government was necessary to take such steps that would allow displaced
residents to return.
"Sinjar’s safety and
security should be front and center at all times,” she stated.
(NRT Digital Media)