Reports clash over fate of Kurdish independence vote

BAGHDAD, Sept 23 (KUNA) -- Conflicting reports emerged on Saturday over the status of Iraqi Kurdistan's planned referendum on independence, as the vote slated for Monday remains shrouded in uncertainty.
The two main political parties in Iraq's autonomous region of Kurdistan have agreed to postpone a planned referendum to secede from Baghdad, state television cited Bafel Talabani, the leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), as saying.
Meanwhile, Masoud Barazani, the Kurdish President and leader of the Kurdish Democratic Party, denied that the referendum has been delayed, saying that the vote will go through as planned. (end) tma.nam