Disputed Iraqi province to vote on Kurdish independence
Iraq’s ethnically-mixed Kirkuk province, long claimed by both the Arab-led central government and the autonomous Kurdish region, voted Tuesday to take part in a vote on Kurdish independence slated for next month. Iraq’s Kurds plan to hold the referendum on Sept. 25 in three governorates that make up their region as well as disputed areas […]Sinan Salaheddin reports for AP:
Iraq’s ethnically-mixed Kirkuk province, long claimed by both the Arab-led central government and the autonomous Kurdish region, voted Tuesday to take part in a vote on Kurdish independence slated for next month.
Iraq’s Kurds plan to hold the referendum on Sept. 25 in three governorates that make up their region as well as disputed areas that are controlled by Kurdish forces but claimed by Baghdad.
Iraq’s central government is opposed to the referendum. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Tuesday said Kirkuk’s decision to take part in the vote was “unconstitutional” and “illegal,” and that the referendum would “lead to more conflicts.”
