Barzani warns Baghdad against dictatorship

Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani told representatives from Nineveh and Sinjar on Wednesday that their provinces remain vital to regional security and share deep connections with Kurdish territories. He met the group in Duhok to discuss parliamentary elections and federal relations with Baghdad.

Barzani said 12,000 Peshmerga fighters died or suffered wounds battling Islamic State militants who attacked communities across northern Iraq. The head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party wants the next parliament to enforce constitutional provisions on oil revenue sharing between federal and regional authorities.

He rejected centralized control from Baghdad and said Kurdish candidates should serve all Iraqi communities. Barzani encouraged voters to back politicians who will protect their interests rather than respond to campaign threats from rival parties.

The parliamentary vote takes place on November 11, when citizens select 329 lawmakers. Nineveh and Mosul connect geographically to Duhok and Erbil provinces, where Kurdish authorities govern.