Sema
President Masoud Barzani affirmed that the position of President of the Republic of Iraq belongs to the Kurds, stressing the need to change the mechanism for selecting the president to ensure genuine representation of the people of Kurdistan. He proposed three mechanisms for nomination: selection by the Kurdistan Parliament, consensus among all Kurdish political forces, or selection by Kurdish blocs in the Iraqi Council of Representatives. He noted that the nominee could be an independent figure or from another party, provided there is Kurdish consensus.
Text of the message:
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,
Regarding the position of President of the Republic of Iraq, it should be firmly established among all Kurdish parties that this position belongs to the Kurds. In order for the President of the Republic to truly represent the people of Kurdistan, the mechanism for electing the president must be changed, and no party should consider this position as its private property or exclusive right.
Accordingly, the mechanism should be as follows: either the Kurdistan Parliament nominates a person as the Kurdish representative for the presidency, or all Kurdish parties meet and agree on a candidate, or Kurdish deputies and blocs in the Iraqi Council of Representatives select a person for the position. It is not necessary for the chosen candidate to be from the Kurdistan Democratic Party or the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan; the candidate may be from another party or an independent figure. What matters most is that the person enjoys Kurdish consensus and represents the people of Kurdistan in assuming the presidency of the Republic of Iraq.
Masoud Barzani
29 December 2025