TEHRAN - Nazim Dabbagh, the representative of the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Tehran, said on Saturday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed for the independence referendum in the KRG in order to achieve his own plots which is dividing up the regional countries.

“In fact, Netanyahu is seeking to escalate the situation and misuse it. In fact, he want to fish in troubled waters,” Dabbagh remarked.

Only Netanyahu backed independence referendum in the Iraqi Kurdistan which was ordered by KRG President Masoud Barzani.  The independence vote was held on September 25.

 “While some countries advised Mr. Barzani to not hold the referendum, there were also other states and persons who encourage referendum,” Dabbagh told the Mehr news agency while visiting the Tehran Press Exhibition.

“In my opinion some part of the blame is on Barzani’s aides,” Mr. Dabbagh noted.

When asked why Netanyahu supported the referendum and the establishment of an independent Kurdish state, he said “Netanyahu, from the very beginning, before the referendum was held, announced that he supports the formation of an independent Kurdish state and then on the day of the referendum said that he holds no position about the poll.”

 ‘Israel wants to fish in troubled waters”

“Four days later,” he added, “Netanyahu stated that the issue of Iraqi Kurdistan is of no relevance to Israel, but after the statement of Ayatollah Sistani and the position of the Iraqi government about holding talks over the issue were announced, he again returned to the field asking different countries to put pressure on the Iraqi government and prevent the central government from pressing the Kurdistan Regional Government.”

He also envisioned a drastic change in the political map of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region in the upcoming election in view of the developments that followed the referendum.

Elections for the regional presidency and parliament, initially scheduled for November 1, have been delayed by eight months.

“Bearing the recent developments in mind, the probability of change in political map of the Kurdistan Regional Government is high.

“In the next election we will witness a significant slide in the votes for Masoud Barzani and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, and maybe a new political movement gain the sway in the Iraqi Kurdistan.”

Dabbagh predicted that none of traditional partiers in Kurdistan would win the majority in the upcoming parliamentary election.