Iraqi Kurdistan leader Barzani will hand over presidential powers on Nov. 1

SULAIMANIYA, Iraq – Iraqi Kurdistan's veteran leader Masoud Barzani will not extend his presidential term beyond Nov. 1, a Kurdish government official said on Saturday.

His decision came just weeks after a referendum on Kurdish independence backfired and triggered a crisis for Iraq's Kurds who had been enjoying a period of unprecedented autonomy.

A plan to divide up the president's powers was outlined in a letter Barzani sent to the Kurdish parliament on Saturday, the official told Reuters. The plan asks parliament to distribute the president's powers among the government, parliament and judiciary.