Nechervan Idris Barzani

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Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Autonomous Region
Nechirvan Idris Barzani
Incumbent
Assumed office March 1, 2006

Born	September 21, 1966 Barzan, Kurdistan Region
Political party	KDP
Spouse	Nabila Barzani
Religion	Sunni Muslim

Nechirvan Idris Barzani (Kurdish: نێچیرڤان بارزانی, or Kurdish: Nêçîrvan Îdrîs Barzanî) (born September 21, 1966) has been the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government since March 2006.

He is a grandson of KDP (Kurdistan Democratic Party) founder Mustafa Barzani and nephew of the current Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani. He was born in 1966 in the Barzan region of Southern Kurdistan. In 1974, his family was forced into exile in Iran. He often accompanied his late father, Idris Barzani, on official visits to Middle Eastern and European countries, a foreshadowing of his future political career. In 1984, he enrolled at the University of Tehran to study political science, but withdrew three years later following the sudden death of his father and took up an active role in Kurdish politics, working in KDP youth organizations.

Barzani was elected to the KDP central committee at its 10th Congress in 1989 and re-elected at the 11th Congress in 1993, when he assumed a position in the political bureau. After the 1991 Gulf War, he participated in the negotiations with the Iraqi government. In 1996, he was appointed deputy prime minister of the Kurdistan Democratic Party's controlled region in Iraqi Kurdistan. Following the unification process in 2005 between the main Kurdish parties and the formation of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), elections were held. In 2006, Barzani was selected as the Prime Minister of the KRG. His term was expected to end in 2008 but after an agreement by the majority coalition in power, Barzani's term was extended to 2010.

Many of Barzani's supporters believe that he has played an important role in developing the Kurdish region. During his term as prime minister, his supporters nicknamed his cabinet as, "The Development Cabinet" praising his work in the development of the Kurdistan region.

The fact that Nechirvan's uncle is president of the KRG has raised critiscism of nepotism in Kurdistan. Washington & Jefferson College presented Barzani with honorary degree and the ceremony was held on May 17th 2008. [1]