Mufti told Al-Monitor, “I think that Talabani’s absence from the political scene has affected the country, not because of his role as president, but due to his character and history. He is a person respected by everyone, and his absence creates a gap and leads to a crisis. If he were present, he would have joined everyone together and led them on the right path."
He added, "With Talabani’s absence, the political forces must take the initiative to shield the Iraqi people from subsequent harm.”
Kurdish political analyst Basharat Zangana agreed with this and said, “The absence of President Talabani has left a huge void in the political process.”
Zangana believes that “Barzani can play a key role in drawing the different viewpoints closer, and the political action in the region is headed in the same direction.”
Abdel Hamid Zebari is a contributing writer for Al-Monitor’s Iraq Pulse. A reporter from Erbil who works in the field of print journalism and radio, he has published several reports in local and world media, including Agence France-Press and Radio Free Iraq (Radio Free Europe).
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