The Hindu : International : Kurds elect guerilla leader as first President

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jun 13, 2005

International

International

Kurds elect guerilla leader as first President

IRBIL (IRAQ): The Kurdish Parliament elected veteran guerilla leader Massoud Barzani on Sunday as the first President of Iraq's northern Kurdistan region, sparking car horn-honking celebrations in this city.

The 111-member Assembly meeting in this northern city unanimously chose Mr. Barzani, a Sunni Muslim Kurd and leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, to a four-year presidential term.

The Kurdish region comprises three northern provinces and has enjoyed autonomy since the first Gulf War in 1991. The region is expected to remain autonomous even after Iraq drafts its new constitution, which will be put to a referendum later this year.

A swearing-in ceremony was postponed until Monday because poor weather conditions caused by a large sandstorm prevented various Iraqi officials in Baghdad from flying to Irbil, a city 350 km north of the Iraqi capital.

Mr. Barzani, who did not attend the parliamentary vote because the ceremony was cancelled, was virtually guaranteed the presidency of the Kurdish region as part of an arrangement that delivered the Iraqi presidency to his one-time Kurdish rival Jalal Talabani.

``This is a historical day because this is the first time the Kurdistan Parliament officially chooses a president for Kurdistan,'' Parliament speaker Adnan al-Mufti said. ``The election of Barzani will give a boost to the Kurdish issue.''

Following the vote, about 100 cars packed with Mr. Barzani supporters drove down Irbil's streets waving posters of the new Kurdish President and distinctive yellow, green and red Kurdistan flags and chanting: ``Barzani's leadership is a guarantee for the federalism and Kurdistan.''

Mr. Barzani was also appointed general commander of the Peshmerga forces, a U.S.-backed Kurdish militia force numbering about 100,000 fighters. The Kurdistan Parliament was formed after January 30 elections.

— AP

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