Iraqi PM says KRG referendum results should be cancelled

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Thursday that the illegitimate referendum held by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Sept. 25 should be declared void, in an apparent rejection of an offer by the KRG to "freeze" the results of the referendum.

"We won't accept anything but its cancellation and the respect of the Constitution," he said in a statement.

Iraqis in KRG-held areas -- and in several areas disputed between Baghdad and Erbil -- voted on whether to declare independence from Iraq.

The illegitimate referendum was heavily criticized by most regional and international actors, with many warning it would distract from Iraq’s ongoing fight against terrorism and further destabilize the already volatile region.