Iraq Supreme Court Orders Suspension of Kurdistan Referendum
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iraq's Supreme Court on Monday ordered the suspension of a September 25 referendum on the independence of Iraqi Kurdistan, to examine whether such a poll would be constitutional.
"The supreme court has issued the order to suspend organizing the referendum set for September 25... until it examines the complaints it has received over this plebiscite being unconstitutional," it said in a statement.
The court took the decision after it "reviewed requests to stop the referendum", the statement said.
Court spokesman Ayas al-Samouk told AFP, "We have received several complaints and this is why we decided to suspend the referendum."
A source in parliament said at least three lawmakers had filed complaints against the poll.
Neighbors Iran, Turkey, as well as the United States and United Nations, have pleaded for the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq to settle its differences with Baghdad through negotiations rather than secession.
Authorities in Iraq’s Kurdish region have announced that the northern territory will hold the independence referendum on September 25.
The referendum on whether to secede from Iraq is planned to be held in the three governorates that make up the Kurdish region and in the areas that are disputed by the Kurdish and Iraqi governments but are currently under Kurdish military control.
The disputed areas include the key oil-rich province of Kirkuk.
