Sema
Amid the rapid changes and growing complexities unfolding across the Middle East, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, in an exclusive interview with Sky News Arabia, shed light on the latest political and security developments, presenting the Kurdistan Region’s vision for achieving stability in the region.
On Saturday, February 7, 2026, Prime Minister Barzani addressed, in detail, the most pressing issues in the Middle East, offering his analysis of the region’s complex political dynamics during the special televised dialogue.
The interview comes at a time when the region is undergoing profound transformations, drawing significant attention from political and diplomatic circles to Barzani’s views and positions.
At the beginning of his remarks, Masrour Barzani stressed the importance of respecting the voice and will of the Iraqi people.
“We held elections and citizens cast their votes,” he said. “Therefore, the election of the Speaker of Parliament and the Prime Minister must reflect the reality and aspirations of the people. Iraq’s sovereignty is extremely important and must be respected.”
He noted that some of Iraq’s friends have demonstrated respect for this sovereignty, emphasizing that Iraq’s relations with the United States and the international community remain of great importance.
The Prime Minister also stated:
“We respect the Shiite component. As you know, the selection of the Prime Minister falls under the responsibility of the Shiite bloc, as has been the case in many previous elections.”
He further explained:
“We believe the Shiite bloc bears the primary responsibility of presenting a candidate for the position of Prime Minister, and we respect their decision and nominee.”
Regarding the presidency, Barzani said:
“The Kurds choose the candidate for the Presidency of the Republic, who becomes president for all of Iraq, not only for the Kurds. At the same time, the Speakership of Parliament is allocated to the Sunni component, while the selection of the Prime Minister remains the responsibility of the Shiite component.”
Barzani also highlighted that the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) received the highest number of votes nationwide, surpassing one million votes, making it the largest party in Iraq.
“This means that more than half of the population of the Kurdistan Region voted for the Kurdistan Democratic Party,” he said. “Therefore, if we follow the logic used by Sunni and Shiite blocs in selecting candidates for sovereign positions, then it is the right of the KDP to determine who should hold the Presidency of the Republic.”
He added that the KDP seeks to respect the will of the Kurdish majority, safeguard its interests, and uphold agreements among political forces in order to reach a unified candidate for the presidency.
“For this reason,” Barzani concluded, “we are obliged to follow a fair and democratic process, through electing the candidate within the Kurdistan Parliament.”