Kurdistan Parliament Members Get into Fistfight over President’s Term

Two members of the Kurdistan Regional Parliament fought early in the week in the auditorium over President Massoud Barzani. The action forced Speaker Tariq Jawhar to investigate the fistfight.

“The argument occurred between the two deputies from (Barzani’s) Kurdistan Democratic Party, on the one hand, and a deputy of the Movement for Change, on the other, which turned into a fistfight,” said Jawhar.

The fight broke out when parliament discussed extending Barzani’s term even after a decade in office. His term ends on August 19. AFP reports his presidency “has been a bone of contention for years in the region that touts itself as a democratic haven.” KDP members Mardan Khidr and Nazim Harki “allegedly punched Ali Hama Salih,” a member of the Goran Party. Parliament postponed a debate on an oil and gas bill.

Jawhar told the media he will put together a committee to investigate the incident.