Official campaigning has begun in Kurdistan for the region’s independence referendum scheduled to take place later this month.
Campaign groups and entities must register with the Kurdistan Region’s Independent High Electoral and Referendum Commission (IHREC), and have 18 days of official campaigning before the vote takes place on September 25th. Over five million people are eligible to vote, with many of those living overseas.
Voters will all be asked the same ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ question: “Do you want the Kurdistan Region and the Kurdistani areas outside the administration of the Region to become an independent state?”
Rallies in support of independence have already taken place in the Kurdish capital of Erbil, as well as in the German city of Cologne, with up to 20,000 attendees:
According to Rudaw, “yes” supporters have already begun decorating their vehicles to demonstrate support for independence, whilst opponents have been seen with banners reading “No for Now.”
However, recent opinion polls suggest that a “yes” vote is highly likely and could win by a landslide, which Kurdish leaders have said will strengthen their negotiating position in talks with Baghdad and other affected regions such as Turkey and Syria.
“The purpose of the referendum is to seek out the opinion of the Kurds and then start a dialogue with Baghdad,” Kurdish Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani said on announcing the referendum, which will not be legally binding.
However, the ruling Shi’ite coalition in Baghdad has already raised concerns over the referendum and warned that they will oppose any attempts to hold a referendum or annex any regions important to Iraqi interests, such as the oil-rich province of Kirkuk.
“Any decision concerning the future of Iraq must take into account the constitutional provisions, it is an Iraqi decision and not one party alone,” Iraqi government spokesperson Saad al-Hadithi said. “All Iraqis must have a say in defining the future of their homeland. No single party can determine the future of Iraq in isolation from the others.”
Meanwhile, Turkey, which has a substantial Kurdish minority, has warned that the referendum could lead to a “civil war” over disputed regions.
“In that country (Iraq), which has been through so many problems, a referendum on independence can make the situation even worse,” Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told the state TRT Haber broadcaster. “God forbid, it could even bring it to civil war.”
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