ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – The Representatives of the Kurdistan Region’s components in the Parliament support the independence referendum in their native languages.

The Kurdistan Region Parliament in a majority vote on Friday approved the decision to hold the independence referendum in the Region. 

With the presence of 68 MPs out of 111, the Kurdistan Parliament in a majority of 65 votes mandated the Independent High Election and Referendum Commission (IHERC) to hold the independence referendum on September 25.

Eleven seats in the Kurdistan Parliament are reserved for the Region’s minorities, allocated to represent the Assyrian, Armenian and Turkmen communities in the governorates administrated by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

Yirwant Nisan, an Armenian MP, said that “I would like to firstly speak in the Armenian language to congratulate the people of the Kurdistan Region, including fellow Armenians, for holding the independence referendum.”

Speaking of the Armenian genocide, Nisan said that since Armenia has become an independent country, it has faced no more genocide.

"The referendum and having an independent country is an opportunity for the people of Kurdistan to prevent more genocide," he said.

Wahida Yaqo Hurmiz, an MP from the Chaldean, Assyrian Syriac bloc, speaking in his mother language expressed support for holding the independence referendum, saying that an independent Kurdistan is the legitimate right of the people.

“Referendum would resolve many of our issues and a civic constitution in the future independent Kurdistan would guarantee our rights,” Hurmiz stated.