Kurdish Referendum: Iraq Refuses To Discuss Independence after Vote
Local Editor
The Iraqi government ruled out talks on possible secession for Kurdish-held parts of northern Iraq on Tuesday after a referendum on independence showed strong support for a split.
Initial results of Monday's vote indicated 72 percent of eligible voters had taken part and an overwhelming majority, possibly over 90 percent, had said "yes", Irbil based Rudaw TV said.
Final results are expected by Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Kurdistan Regional Government [KRG] President Masoud Barzani said the vote is not binding, but meant to provide a mandate for negotiations with Baghdad and neighboring countries over the secession of the region from Iraq.
For its part, Baghdad persisted in its unwavering opposition to Kurdish independence.
"We are not ready to discuss or have a dialogue about the results of the referendum because it is unconstitutional," Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in a speech on Monday night.
The Kurds held the vote despite threats from Baghdad and Iraq's powerful neighbors, Iran and Turkey, to block it.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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