[ALMASDARNEWS] Masud Barzani, Iraq’s Kurdistan President, announced that he would declare independence for the autonomous region if Iraqi Vice President Nouri al-Maliki returned as Prime Minister, he said on Monday.
"The moment Maliki assumes cabinet chairmanship, I will declare the independence of Kurdistan without consulting anybody. No matter what happens. I am not staying in an Iraq ruled by al-Maliki," he was quoted as telling Asharq al-Awsat newspaper.
Kurdistan gained autonomous governance based on the 2005 constitution, but is still considered a part of Iraq. The region was created in 1970 based on an agreement with the Iraqi government, ending years of fierce fighting, IraqiNews reported. 
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