Iraqi Supreme Court Suspends Kurdish Region ’s Independence Referendum

(BAGHDADP) — Iraq’s top court on Monday temporarily suspended the northern Kurdish region’s referendum on independence that’s due next week, a decision that put further pressure on the Iraqi Kurds to call off the controversial vote. The Supreme Court in Baghdad released a statement, saying it “issued a national order to suspend the referendum procedures … until the resolution of the cases regarding the constitutionality of said decision.” It was not immediately clear if the local government in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region would abide by the court’s ruling. The vote was due on Sept. 25 in the three provinces that make up the region, as well as disputed territories claimed by both the Kurdish region and Baghdad. The central government in Baghdad, regional leaders and the United States — a key ally of Iraq’s Kurds — have all called on the Iraqi Kurdish region to hold off on the vote, fearing it could contribute to instability as Iraqi forces continue to battle the Islamic State group. The Kurdish region has repeatedly ignored calls from Baghdad that the vote is unconstitutional. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview on Saturday that Iraq is prepared to intervene militarily if the Kurdish region’s referendum results in violence. If the Iraqi population is “threatened by the use of force outside the law, then we will intervene militarily,” a...
Source: TIME.com: Top Science and Health Stories - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Iraq onetime Source Type: news