Pre-Referendum Campaigning Kicks Off in Iraqi Kurdistan

The official campaigning period to the Iraqi Kurdistan's referendum on independence from Iraq was launched earlier on Tuesday, local media reported, citing anonymous sources.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The official campaigning period with regard to the referendum on Iraqi Kurdistan's independence from Iraq begun earlier on Tuesday and would last 18 days, local media reported.

The referendum will consist the "yes" or "no" question: "Do you want the Kurdistan Region and the Kurdistani areas outside the administration of the Region to become an independent state?"

According to the Rudaw news outlet, entities, political parties, and people are now able to launch campaigns for or against the independence, provided that they have made all the necessary arrangements with the Kurdistan Region’s Independent High Electoral and Referendum Commission.

The referendum is scheduled for September 25. Iraq and the United States both consider the process to be moving too fast, without dialogue between Erbil (the capital city of Iraqi Kurdistan) and Baghdad. Over 5 million people are eligible to vote, the news outlet added, citing the Commissions' data.