Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region will hold a referendum on statehood in September, its presidency said Wednesday, despite opposition to independence from Baghdad.
"September 25, 2017 was designated as the day for holding the referendum" on independence, the presidency said in a statement.
Iraqi Kurdistan is made up of three provinces that are run by an autonomous regional government and protected by their own security services, and there is broad support among Iraqi Kurds for the idea of an independent state.
But in practice, such a project would face major internal and external challenges that would threaten the viability of the fledgling nation.
The statement from the regional presidency highlighted one of the main issues, saying the referendum would be held "in the Kurdistan region and areas of Kurdistan outside the administration of the region".
More:
http://www.france24.com/en/20170607-iraq-kurds-hold-independence-referendum-september-votePosting this one seperate from the Kurdish News section, as it is significant. Which of course means it'll get zero comments.
