28/04/2012 11:44

BAGHDAD, April 28 (AKnews) - The Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani's meetings with Iraqi political leaders over the crisis in Iraq will last 10 more days, said a Kurdish MP.

The separate meetings will take place in Erbil and they are part of moves towards holding the national conference for political leaders in the near future, said deputy head of the Kurdistan Blocs Coalition (KBC) Mohsen Saadun.


The official added: "Barzani wants to reflect the results of the consultancy meetings on the political reality of the country so that Iraqiya List, KBC and National Alliance leaders come up with an agreement."

Saadun said the political parties have yet to decide on a location for holding the national conference.
Barzani already met with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, Iraqiya List leader Ayad Allawi, leader of the Sadrist Movement Muqtada Sadr and Adel Abdul-Mahdi of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI).

The meetings were held after Barzani concluded a four-week trip to Bulgaria, the US, Hungary and Turkey where he voiced concerns over a "return of dictatorship" in Baghdad. This was in reference to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

Iraqiya List led by former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi revealed this month that it began steps to get a "national consensus" to withdraw confidence from Maliki's government. Iraqiya List objects to the management of the Iraqi state by Maliki and says that he has taken all of the power.

Maliki's State of Law Coalition (SLC) in turn criticized Barzani's meetings with political leaders saying such meetings will negatively affect the national conference. The conference was called by Talabani almost three months ago.

The conference was deemed to be urgent after tension between the SLC and Iraqiya on the one hand and Erbil and Baghdad on the other hand deteriorated following the issue of an arrest warrant for Iraqi Vice President Tareq Hashemi.

The suspension of Kurdistan's oil exports and statements by Barzani and Sadr against Maliki also spurred on the tension.