ERBIL, Iraq
The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and Gorran Movement have demanded incumbent President Massoud Barzani hand over most of his authority to parliament.
Law commissions from both parties submitted a resolution to the Kurdish regional parliament on Tuesday asking for a change in the presidential law so Barzani's power is restricted and the state turns into a full parliamentary system.
Sherko Mohammad Emin, a deputy from Gorran, told The Anadolu Agency: "The president has too broad an authority.
"We, the Gorran movement, has repeatedly and clearly voiced the need for a parliamentary system in Kurdistan Regional Government just like the one in the Iraq's central government."
However, both parties say Barzani's tenure should be expanded due to the ongoing conflicts in the country.
'Broad authority'
Barzani, the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iraq, has served as president for 10 years in the Kurdish regional government and is granted broad authority under the current presidential system.
He currently has the right to decide over whether the Peshmerga fight in or outside the country, as well as the right to appoint the Peshmerga General Commander, Undersecretary of Intelligence Service, Director General of Public Security, and the judges and prosecutors of high courts.
He has also the right to approve or decline regulations which have passed parliament and to disapprove choices for appointments of the prime and other ministers.
Barzani can also decide to order a general amnesty, state of emergency or a halt to death sentences.
Gorran is in opposition to the ruling two-party coalition between Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iraq and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, which governs the Kurdish regional government in northern Iraq.
'Working in harmony'
Another deputy from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Goran Azad, also said they were against the presidential system.
Azad told AA: "We support the parliamentary system, and believe that that the president should be elected by the deputies in the parliament."
However Amine Zikri, from Barzani's Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iraq, claimed the president worked in harmony with the parliament.
"We are insisting that the president should be elected by the public, in which case the democracy will be stronger," Zikri said.
Barzani, elected as president by public vote in 2005, completed his term of office in 2013 and was re-elected by parliament for two more years.
The parliament is now thinking of expanding his tenure for a second time in August 2015.
The current cabinet is composed of two governing parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iraq with 38 deputies and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan with 18 deputies, while the opposition, Gorran, has 24.
