Media wrangling stops next Sunday, Presidency statement

BAGHDAD/ Aswat al-Iraq: Iraqi presidency called political rivalries that next Sunday should be the halt of political wrangling and exchange of accusations, stressing it will continue efforts to coordinate between the federal and Kurdish governments.

In a Presidency statement, copy received by Aswat al-Iraq, it was stressed the necessity of solving the problems through dialogue and political means.

The Presidency added that " a number of suggestions were submitted where both Baghdad and Arbil positively responded to pacification calls and putting an end to political wrangling".

 Earlier, another Presidential statement announced that Premier Nouri al-Maliki and Kurdish region president Masoud Barzani agreed to stop media wrangling and the formation of military groups to protect the disputed areas from their own people, provided that the military forces should be withdrawn when such groups are formed.

Relations between Baghdad and Arbil were tense following the formation of Dijla Operations Command to control security in some provinces that included disputed areas.

The Kurdish region leadership rejected the formation of such Command, as aiming against the Kurdish region and to control the disputed areas by force.

They warned that Premier Maliki wants to "unilaterally" control Iraq.

Added to all these are matters connected with the Peshmarga budget, oil contracts signed by the Kurdish region, decision partnership, control of border vents and airports and their revenues.