An informal
independence referendum for
Kurdistan Region was held on 30 January 2005, with final results showing the vast majority of votes, 98.98 percent, cast in favour of independence. Conducted by the Kurdistan Referendum Movement alongside the
Iraqi parliamentary elections and
Kurdistan Region elections of 2005, the referendum asked the people of Kurdistan Region whether they favoured remaining a part of
Iraq or were in favour of an independent
Kurdistan.
Background
On 22 December 2004, a non-partisan delegation headed by Ardishir Rashidi-Kalhur, president of the Kurdish American Education Society met with
Carina Perelli, Head of the U.N. Electoral Assistance Division and staff, at the
United Nations Headquarters in
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
, to hand over 1,732,535 signatures, which were collected endorsing the call for an independence referendum on the future of
Southern Kurdistan.
The referendum was held at the end of the term of the
Iraqi Interim Government.
Impact
The referendum did not lead to the independence of Kurdistan because of threats from neighboring countries, but the Kurdistan Region was granted autonomy in the
Constitution of Iraq
The Constitution of the Republic of Iraq ( ar, دستور جمهورية العراق Kurdish: دەستووری عێراق) is the fundamental law of Iraq. The first constitution came into force in 1925. The current constitution was adopted on Se ...
adopted on October 15, 2005.
Results
See also
*
2017 Kurdistan Region independence referendum
An independence referendum for the Kurdistan Region of Iraq was held on 25 September 2017, with preliminary results showing approximately 92.73 percent of votes cast in favour of independence. Despite reporting that the independence referendum ...
References
Separatism in Iraq
Kurdistan independence movement
Kurdistan
Referendums in Kurdistan Region
Kurdistan
2005 in Iraq
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