The Kurdistan Regional Government[a] (KRG), is the official executive body of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region in northern Iraq.
| Kurdistan Regional Government | |
|---|---|
| حکومهتی ههرێمی کوردستان Hikumetî Herêmî Kurdistan حكومة إقليم كردستان Ḥukūmat ʾIqlīm Kurdistān | |
 | |
| Overview | |
| Established | 1992 |
| State | Kurdistan Region |
| Leader | President Nechirvan Barzani[1] Masrour Barzani (Prime Minister) |
| Main organ | Cabinet |
| Ministries | 19 |
| Responsible to | Kurdistan Region Parliament |
| Headquarters | Erbil, Kurdistan Region |
| Website | https://gov.krd/english/ |
The cabinet is selected by the majority party or list who also select the prime minister of the Iraqi Kurdish polity. The president is directly elected by the electorate of the region and is the head of the cabinet and chief of state who delegates executive powers to the cabinet. The prime minister is traditionally the head of the legislative body but also shares executive powers with the president.[2] The President of Kurdistan Region is also the commander-in-chief of the Peshmerga.[3]
2014
editFrom mid-2013 to mid-2014, the KRG "built up their own defenses by creating a security belt stretching more than 1,000 km (600 miles) from the Iranian border all the way to Syria – skirting around Mosul, a city of 2 million people they appear[ed] to have no intention of fighting for."[4] In August 2014, ISIL attacked the Kurds.
On 1 July 2014, Masoud Barzani announced that "Iraq's Kurds will hold an independence referendum within months."[5]
2017
editIn September, the 2017 Kurdistan Region independence referendum was held regarding Kurdish independence from Iraq. 92% of Iraqi Kurds participating in the referendum voted in favor of independence.[6][7] The referendum was regarded as illegal by the federal government in Baghdad, and on 6 November, Iraq's Supreme Federal Court ruled that no Iraqi province was allowed to secede in order to preserve the unity of Iraq.[8]
On 14 November, the KRG announced it would respect the Supreme Federal Court's ruling, stating that "this decision must become a basis for starting an inclusive national dialogue between (Kurdish authorities in) Erbil and Baghdad to resolve all disputes".[9]
See also
edit- Kurdish Supreme Committee
- A Modern History of the Kurds by David McDowall
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ "About - President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq". President.gov.krd. 1966-09-21. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
- ^ "Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)". www.krg.org. Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2007-11-13.
- ^ "Constitution of the Kurdistan Region". Archived from the original on 2017-10-01. Retrieved 2009-03-12.
- ^ "Kurds realize dream as Baghdad loses grip on north Iraq". Reuters. 2014-06-13. Retrieved 2020-12-06.
- ^ Agence France Presse (1 July 2014). "Kurdish Leader: We Will Vote For Independence Soon". Business Insider. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
- ^ "92% of Iraqi Kurds back independence from Baghdad, election commission says". France 24. 2017-09-27. Retrieved 2017-11-14.
- ^ Chulov, Martin (2017-09-27). "More than 92% of voters in Iraqi Kurdistan back independence". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2017-11-14.
- ^ "Iraq court rules no region can secede after Kurdish independence bid". Reuters. 2017-11-06. Retrieved 2017-11-14.
- ^ "Iraq's Kurdistan says to respect court decision banning secession". Reuters. 2017-11-14. Retrieved 2017-11-14.
