Additionally Barzani's critics have pointed out that the President hasn’t actually done much to bring the two halves of Iraqi Kurdistan closer together – half of the region is dominated by Barzani's party, the KDP, and the other half by the PUK.
Contrasting these kinds of opinions there are those locals who firmly believe Barzani is the only “strong man” for the current job and that politicians need to find some legal way to keep him on as President.
The region's Prime Minister – and also Barzani's nephew – Nechirvan Barzani has already stated that this is his opinion. “When its decision time though, people will set aside their differences and agree on what is right for the country,” Nechirvan told journalist Amberin Zaman. “The politicians, be they from Goran [the main opposition party], the PUK, the Islamic Party, they all know that and the people know that. For the stability of Kurdistan, Massoud needs to stay.”
“The current circumstances require the presence of a man like this, with his political and social qualities,” argues Badran Ahmad Habib, a well known Kurdish journalist and head of the local publisher, Aras Press. “Kurdistan is fighting against the Islamic State and nobody knows how long this war will go on. Kurdistan is also fighting with Baghdad and suffering a financial crisis as a result. These factors are actually obstacles to the democratic process and should be resolved before there's any new presidential election.”
Habib does think that Iraqi Kurdistan's democratic process should be respected – eventually, when the various crises have been resolved. His argument is that it takes time to mandate new leaders in this part of the world; he gives the example of Jalal Talabani, leader of the PUK who suffered a stroke and has been absent from local politics, while still holding his job, albeit ceremonially, for so long that his party has suffered. “Half of Kurdistan was paralysed,” Habib told NIQASH. “If Barzani goes, the other half will be paralysed. The charismatic leader plays an important role in this part of the world.”
The political machinations are continuing and for now the only thing that is clear is that August will be a tough month for Barzani.
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