ERBIL - The Kurds have always avoided extremism and violence in Iraq, and they have not let the disputes between Erbil and Baghdad cause hatred and antagonisms among the different religious and ethnic groups.

Moreover the Kurdistan Democratic Party's (KDP) duty is to further strengthen the current coexistence in the country, said the Kurdish prominent leader and party's president, Masoud Barzani.

The remarks were made during a meeting between the influential leader and his party's newly parliament members in the Iraqi parliament for talks on the current political process and KDP's agenda in Iraq, where Barzani reminded the KDP lawmakers to prioritize the rights of the Kurdish people during their service in Baghdad.

Concerning the last year's Kurdistan Region's independence referendum and its before and after events, which resulted in a number of violations to the Iraqi Constitution by the federal government, the former president of the region pointed out that the Iraqis punished those people who opposed the constitutional rights of the Kurds.

Barzani once again reiterated that consensus, balance in power, as well as a true partnership in the Iraqi government are keys to solving all issues in the country.

Bas News