ARBIL, Iraq, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Iraq's Kurdish President Masoud Barzani on Friday vowed to go ahead with independence referendum, ignoring calls to postpone the controversial move slated for Sept. 25.
"So far, we haven't seen an alternative that can take the place of the referendum. Do not listen to anyone, we are going to go to a referendum," Masoud Barzani said during a campaign for the Kurdish referendum in Duhok Province.
Barzani criticized those claiming that referendum does not have legitimacy, saying "the referendum's legitimacy comes from the people of Kurdistan."
"If we wait for other states to give us independence as a gift, this will not happen. If our will is strong, we will achieve victory," Barzani said.
On Thursday, the Kurdish regional government said it had received an alternative plan for the referendum on independence in Kurdistan on Sept. 25.
An international delegation, including the United States, Britain and UN envoys, met with Barzani and presented the alternative path for the controversial independence referendum.
On June 7, Barzani announced his intention to hold a referendum on the independence of the Kurdish region from Iraq on Sept. 25.
The referendum has been opposed by Baghdad because it would threaten the integrity of Iraq and distract the ongoing fight against Islamic State militants by Iraqi forces.
The neighboring countries of Turkey, Iran and Syria also feel that the move would threaten their territorial integrity, as large numbers of Kurdish population live in those countries.
