Nechirvan Barzani expected to remain Kurdistan president: spox

Nechirvan Barzani expected to remain Iraqi Kurdistan president next term: spokesperson — Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, February 2025. Photo: Barzani’s Press Office

ERBIL,— Nechirvan Barzani should remain president of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region for another term, a senior official said Monday.

Dilshad Shahab, spokesperson for Iraqi Kurdistan Region Presidency and a member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party’s (KDP) negotiating team for the formation of the next regional government, made the remarks during an interview on the “Tawtûwê” program on NRT TV.

“In my view, and based on the current political reality, Nechirvan Barzani should continue as president of the Kurdistan Region for the next term,” Shahab said.

Shahab highlighted Barzani’s active diplomatic role, noting that the president has held 40 official meetings in Germany alone. He said world powers continue to engage with the Kurdistan Region as a key political and economic entity.

Dilshad Shahab, spokesperson for Iraqi Kurdistan Region Presidency, January 2025. Photo: Screengrab/K24 TV

On domestic issues, Shahab stressed the need for a permanent solution to the ongoing salary disputes in the region. “It is unacceptable for all Kurdish issues to revolve around salaries. This matter must be resolved once and for all,” he said, adding that payments should not remain uncertain until the middle of each month.

The Barzani family has dominated Kurdish politics for decades, with Nechirvan Barzani serving as president and his cousin Masrour Barzani as prime minister.

Critics have accused the family of nepotism and benefiting from the region’s oil revenues rather than prioritizing public services.

Nechirvan Barzani’s uncle, Massoud Barzani, a tribal leader and the longtime head of the KDP and former president of the Kurdistan Region, remains an influential figure behind the scenes, analysts say.