Attended by many foreign dignitaries, including Mrs. Daniele Mitterand, the widow of former French Socialist president Francois Mitterand, the 105 seats Parliament is expected to discuss several main topics, mostly the future of the region after the collapse of Saddam Hoseyn’s regime in Baghdad.

Informed sources told Iran Press Service that a proposed draft project for a post-Saddam Constitution for Iraq will be debated by the lawmakers, divided equally between members if the Democratic Party of Kurdistan (DPK) of Mr. Mas’ood Barzani and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) led by Mr. Jalal Talabani.

"The draft Constitution would be discussed by lawmakers, but no decision is expected before it is submitted to other Iraqi parties and organisations opposed to Saddam Hoseyn", a source told IPS.

"We are discussing the issue of a federal set up for Iraq but we feel this federal system will be based on regionality and not on ethnicity", one source said.

In their address to the session, the two Kurdish leaders stressed that the convening of the regional parliament should not be regarded as a threat to the neighbours of Iraq.

"The convention of the Kurdish regional parliament will create more stability in northern Iraq and thus will be a deterrent against terrorist groups who want to create turmoil in the region", Mr. Barzani assured.

Barzani and Talabani held a summit meeting in Dokan, in the PUK controlled area and agreed to combine their efforts to provide more security for the region and face the threat of terrorist groups.

The two leaders also reportedly agreed to work to unite their views on the political future of Iraq.

Kurdish sources said they reviewed the current efforts to normalize their ties and agreed that much headway had been achieved.

"The prospect of a regime change in Baghdad has pushed the rival Kurdish leaders to bury their historic tensions and present a more united front", Fou’ad Ma’soom of the PUK Political Bureau stressed.

Kurdish politician Hoshiyar Zebari said the reopening of the region's parliament meant, "turning a new leaf of harmony and prosperity" between fractious Kurdish groups.

"You have to tidy your house up, before it is blown up", Zebari told Reuters.

"The Parliament would help bring closer the two main Kurdish parties, end feuding between the Kurds", noted Ma’soom.

"If the Kurds can play their cards wisely, they will take full advantage of a possible US attack on Iraq", one European expert on Kurdish affairs told IPS.

"If a federal, democratic regime is founded in Iraq, the Kurds will both have the chance to be represented in Baghdad and an autonomous administration in regions under their control", he added.

The Kurdish Parliament last met in 1996, but split up immediately after the two parties fell at odds and started warring.

A second ceremonial session of the parliament will be held in Suleymaniyeh in the PUK controlled area on October 8 or 9. A PUK speaker will chair the session. After that the parliamentary sessions will return to Erbil and remain there as the parliament hold plenary sessions.

Though all Kurdish leaders, being Iraqi, Turks or Iranians, assure that they are not seeking the creation of an independent Kurdish state, yet no one in Tehran, Baghdad, Ankara or Damascus believe they are sincere.