Iraqi-Kurdish President Barzani to announce resignation

In a closed parliamentary session on Sunday, Barzani is expected to read out a letter announcing that he will not seek to extend or ammend his term, his senior assistant Hemin Hawrami said.

Barzani came under growing opposition from his detractors after he organised the 25 September referendum on Kurdish independence that triggered a deep crisis with the Baghdad government.

The federal government had disputed the vote which it deemed unconstitutional, and its forces have since seized a swathe of disputed territory from Kurdish fighters.

Iraqi Kurdistan's main opposition party, the Goran Movement, called on Barzani to step down after the loss of Kurdish-controlled territory.

Despite scoring a major victory with a resounding "yes" for independence during the vote, Barzani now finds himself increasingly isolated in the political realm.

This is a developing story...