ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (K24) – President of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Masoud Barzani and several Kurdish political parties established a committee on Wednesday with plans for a referendum on Kurdistan's independence.

The Parties called for a united voice, stating that Kurds should have the right to decide on their future by promoting a national consensus regarding self-determination.

Handren Mohammed Saleh, President of Kurdistan Independent High Electoral and Referendum Commission (IHERC), told K24 that once all legal preconditions for a referendum have been met, they will begin preparations for the referendum.

“We need 180 days to prepare for the referendum. Unlike elections, these preparation are easier to facilitate because the Commission doesn’t need to register the names of political parties and candidates,” he explained.

President Barzani urged political parties to equally participate in resolving the current issues. He asked that they work in promoting further trust between people and the government. The meeting also established a committee to help solve the instability and Regional presidency issue.

“The Committee is expected to meet with all Kurdish parties separately in the coming week and reveal its result in the next parties’ meeting with President Barzani,” read a statement from the Kurdistan Region Presidency office.

The meeting also discussed Kurdish emigration and concluded that much of the solution lies with resolving the financial crisis in Kurdistan.

Parties also agreed that the KRG should continue negotiating with the Federal Government of Iraq to resolve domestic and regional issues.

All parties praised the role and bravery of Peshmerga in fighting against the Islamic State (IS) and expressed their full support for the Kurdish forces.

Additionally, President Barzani emphasized that Kurdistan Region will not be part of the increasing sectarian war in the Middle East.

Reporting by Mewan Dolamari; Editing by Judy Elliott, Benjamin Kweskin and Karzan Sulaivany