Tag Archives | referendum

Baghdad seeks Concessions before Negotiating with Kurds

By Kamal Chomani for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Trying to jump-start discussions with Iraq's central government, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Erbil recently announced it will respect the Iraqi Federal Court's ecision that the KRG independence referendum was unconstitutional. But Baghdad has amplified its demands for opening a dialogue, which […]

"Unprecedented Upsurge" in Iraqis seeking Second Citizenship

By John Lee. The escalating tensions between Baghdad and Erbil have triggered an unprecedented upsurge in applications from wealthy Iraqi nationals for second citizenship programs. Data collected by Savory & Partners, one of the largest companies in the Middle East that provides citizenship-by-investment programs, shows that compared to the same quarter last year, interest has […]

KRG "Respects" Court Decision on Independence

By John Lee. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) said on Tuesday that it would accept a Supreme Court decision prohibiting the region from seceding from Iraq. It said in a statement: "At the request of the Secretary General of the Iraqi Council of Ministers on November 5th, 2017, the Federal Supreme Court issued Decision No. […]

Video: Kurdistan Secession Bid takes a toll on Economy

From Al Jazeera. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. The economy in the Kurdish region of Iraq has taken a hit after the referendum on secession. The central government in Baghdad has closed international airspace, tourists are staying away, and there’s been […]

Kurdistan’s Tourism Suffering following Referendum

By John Lee. Tourism in Iraqi Kurdistan has reportedly been hard hit following Baghdad imposed punitive measures on the Kurdistan Region following the independence referendum. Many restaurants and guesthouses in Erbil have had to lay off employees after international flights were banned and the borders temporarily closed. According to Rudaw, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) […]

KRG offers to "Freeze" Results of Independence Referendum

Statement from Kurdistan Regional Government: As Iraq and Kurdistan are faced with grave and dangerous circumistances, we are all obliged to act responsibily in order to prevent further violence and clashes between Iraqi and Peshmerga forces. Attacks and confrontations between Iraqi and Peshmerga forces that started on October 16, 2017, especially today's clashes, have caused […]

How Turkey's Nuclear Plant could curb KRG Ambitions

By Dr. Olgu Okumuş for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. On Sept. 28, when Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan jointly stated their support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq, they also made a point of stressing their […]

Kurdish Referendum may see Iraqi Elections Postponed

This article was originally published by Niqash. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. In Baghdad, the Kurdish referendum has dominated all other official proceedings. Lack of progress on electoral laws means federal elections could be postponed - again. The controversial Iraqi Kurdish referendum […]

Video: Iran "Reduces Water Supply" over Iraqi Kurd Vote

From Al Jazeera. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. While Iraq has taken measures against its semi-autonomous Kurdish region for last month's secession vote, Kurdish farmers say they're also being punished by neighbouring Iran. They say Tehran has stemmed the flow of […]

Govt demands Asiacell & Korek Relocate to Baghdad

By John Lee. Mobile phone operators based in Iraqi Kurdistan have reportedly been told by the Iraqi government to move their headquarters to Baghdad, following the region’s recent vote for independence. Asiacell is based in the Kurdish city of Sulaymaniyah, while Korek is based in Erbil; Zain, however, is based in Baghdad. According to a […]