5-18-13 Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The medical team supervising the treatment of the Iraqi President Jalal Talabani in Berlin held a press conference on Friday evening to present medical report over the health situation of the President Talabani.

The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan reported that “The medical team assured that the health situation of the Iraqi President is continuously developing and he started talking with people around him.”

The team mentioned that they expect better development for Talabani’s health to return to country and resume his tasks.

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5-18-13 Shafaq News / Kurdistan TV station of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan broadcasted pictures of President, Jalal Talabani at his hospital in Germany.

But the television station did not mention in its report, briefed by “Shafaq News” the date of the recording or of taking pictures.

The television quoted a member of the Political Bureau of PUK , Najim al-Deen Omar as saying that Talabani can return to his country after the end of his treatment period.

Hero Ibrahim Ahmed, Talabani’s wife has announced on Thursday, a significant improvement in the health of the president, noting that he successfully passed the treatment stages.

Ahmed said in response to Ammar al-Hakim inquiry, who visited Sulaymaniyah, about the health of the president that he “passed the stages of treatment, with great success”.

Talabani arrived in 20th of last December to Germany for follow-up treatment of a brain stroke, accompanied by his medical team.

Talabani suffered for years from health problems. As he had a heart surgery in the United States in August 2008, before he was transferred after a year to Jordan for treatment due to exhaustion.

Talabani, named “Mam Jalal” i.e. “Uncle Jalal” in Kurdish language, is the first Kurdish president in the history of modern Iraq.

Talabani was elected as president of Iraq for a transitional period in April 2005 and was re-elected in April 2010 for a second term of four years.

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5-15-13 Shafaq News / Deputy Secretary-General of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Barham Saleh who is the only candidate for the position of president of the republic succeeding, President Jalal Talabani said that talking about an alternative to the latter is “inappropriate” and “unfeasible”.

“President Talabani is the President of Iraq and is currently undergoing treatment from health problems “adding that “we are waiting for his return safe and sound,” Saleh said, in a press statement that talked about his candidacy for the presidency of the Republic of Iraq, briefed by “Shafaq News”.

The Iraqi Presidency of prosecution had asked in a statement yesterday by the Parliament Speaker to initiate legal procedures to fill Talabani’s position due to his absence for long time, through the implementation of Article 72 of the Iraqi Constitution, which identified certain period of absence from the position, and that this demand is based on the text Article I of the Public Prosecution Law No. 159 of 1979, as amended.

Talabani arrived in 20th of December to Germany to follow-up his treatment from a stroke, accompanied by his medical team, while conflicting reports about his health confirmed as the Parliamentary Legal commission confirmed on Tuesday, that the Commission will determine its position on the replacement of President , Jalal Talabani after his doctor visits Talabani in Germany to identify his health.

While independent MP of Kurdistan Alliance bloc, Mahmoud Othman said it is the interest of the Kurds to nominate someone for the position of President of the Republic in case it is proved that the President, Jalal Talabani is unable to do his duties.

Muqtada al- Sadr, expressed support to nominate a replacement for the presidency of the Republic.

In a related development, United Nations Office in Kurdistan Region announced on Tuesday, the reasons that prevent from naming an alternative to Iraqi President, Jalal Talabani.

The official of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq’s Office “UNAMI” in Kurdistan Region, Sokol Conde said in a statement issued by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, that the ruling in Iraq was built on the basis of consensus and partnership among the blocs and the basic components, which impose achieving national consensus towards various national issues, including the issue of naming new President of the Republic.

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5-15-13 Baghdad (IraqiNews.com):    The Deputy Secretary General of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Barham Salih, assured that the calls to replace the President, Jalal Talabani, at the current time is “Unsuitable.”

A statement by the PUK received by IraqiNews.com quoted Salih, as saying to the Middle East British Newspaper “Talabani is the president of Iraq and currently he is in a medical treatment and we are waiting for him to come back to Iraq safe.”

“The political position of Talabani requests us to wait for him and not to create any disputes over this issue,” he concluded.

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5-13-13 Rudaw / SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region – The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), one of the two parties governing Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan Region, will next week convene its first party meeting since Jalal Talabani – it’s leader and Iraq’s president – suffered a stroke in December.

Farid Asassard, a senior leader, told Rudaw that high-ranking officials had insisted on the meeting, in order to discuss major internal issues that could no longer be delayed by the absence of the 79-year-old Talabani, who is still recuperating at a hospital in Germany.

“This is going to be a decisive year,” said Asassard. “We are going to discuss the next elections, the constitution and the Kurdistan Region’s presidency.”

“Kurdistan’s relations with Baghdad and local elections will be the major topics of discussion,” he added.

These are all thorny issues, for a party whose charter decrees that the political bureau should meet every two months. But the PUK has been staggering for leadership since Talabani, who remained popular but did not delegate power, went absent.

The regional legislative and presidential elections are set for September, although no date has been officially announced; the issue of the presidency swirls with controversy, over the great likelihood – and opposition objections – that President Massoud Barzani will find a way around constitutional limitations to run for a third four-year term; Erbil-Baghdad relations remain taut, despite an agreement recently signed to deflate explosive tensions; last but not least, the PUK is unsure if the Iraqi presidency will be offered to one of its candidates after Talabani.

These complex issues are further complicated by the party charter, which stipulates that only the secretary general has overriding power to make decisions if the votes are split.

“We have some problems inside the PUK that could have been easily solved had Talabani been here,” admitted Asassard. “We cannot deny that his absence may make it difficult to resolve some of our issues,” he added.

Asassard said that Talabani’s absence is felt on every issue, even in relations with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the KDP’s ruling partner, which is led by Barzani.

Senior PUK leaders and members of the political bureau have found themselves in the midst of serious disagreements over Kurdistan’s constitution, which is to be referred to parliament for a final vote, as well as the PUK’s stance on a third term for Barzani.

“Members of the leadership council are likely to bombard the political bureau with criticism for their lack of a clear policy,” said a senior PUK leader on condition of anonymity.

“The political bureau has been running the party quite badly over the past few months,” he admitted. “They don’t have a unanimous voice, either.”

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