Kurdish PM: Kurds inside and outside the region must vote

Feb 14, 2010, 8:40 GMT

Baghdad - The Prime Minister of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region of Iraq called on Sunday for Kurds both inside and outside the area to participate in upcoming Iraqi elections.

Premier Barham Salih said in a statement carried by the Kurdish government site that the polls set for March 7 would be 'a turning point based on which new political systems will be built.'

'This is why it is important that the sons of the Kurdish nation both inside and outside the area participate in these elections with vigor,' he added.

Debate between Kurdish and Arab lawmakers delayed the passage of the Kurdish region's elections law for months.

The disputed city of Kirkuk, which many Kurds hope will be the capital of a future Kurdish state, was left out of elections in previous years as lawmakers could not agree on a system for weighing its votes.

Salih added: 'There are still many problems between us and the federal government, which means we must maintain a heavy Kurdish presence in the parliament so as to resolve these disputes to the favor of the Kurdish nation.'