Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government President Masoud Barzani has accepted international coalition delegation including “Fighting Daesh” Special Representative of the President of the United States Brett McGurk, UN Envoy Jan Kubis, the US ambassador to Baghdad Douglas Silliman and Britain's ambassador to Baghdad Frank Baker.

In a statement on the presidential site about the content of the interview, the delegation was quoted as saying that Barzani was offered an alternative to postponing the referendum.

In a statement, Masoud Barzani noted that the referendum decision was a joint decision of the parties and that “the referendum is not just mine, but a decision taken by other political leaders in Kurdistan.”

Barzani said, “We will do our negotiations with the other parties and then we will announce our stance in the near future.”

There is no explanation as to what kind of alternative the international coalition delegation has offered to Masoud Barzani.

Barzani: We will not delay the referendum

Kurdish President Masoud Barzani said following the meeting with the visiting delegation in a rally for independence in Zakho in the province of Duhok, that the delegation asked for the postpone of referendum “But we will not delay the referendum. We will win our independence.”

Attending public referendum event in Zakho, Barzani addressed to people said the following on his talks with foreign diplomats:

“We had met for 3-4 hours. They offered their suggestions, and we told them our own situation. The delegation had said that they are with the Kurdistan’s right to self-determination, but that they have concerns about the timing of the vote. We also said if you have a better suggestion about the referendum, you should submit your proposal. We will not postpone the referendum. We are independent. Others will not offer it to us. We will win our independence.”

Reminding some people says that the referendum is not legal, Barzani said: “When we went to Baghdad in 2003, we went to make Iraq a common land. However, Baghdad chose a religious-sectarian way. The common land believe was violated by them. We were wrong to go to Baghdad in 2003. We shouldn’t have gone there. the Iraqi Parliament are making decisions every day that cannot be accepted by us.” (ILKHA)