President’s party is the most popular in Kirkuk

[Anthea]

Kirkuk Now

The PUK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) was founded in the mid 1970′s and is one of the two ruling parties in the Kurdistan region.

Its slogans are the right to self determination, democracy and human rights for the Kurdish people in Iraq.

Jalal Talibani, the current Iraqi Republic President, is also the secretary general of the party.

A SHORT PROFILE OF THE PARTY

The PUK was founded on 1 June 1975 with socialist ideals and urban educated affiliates and members. One year later PUK began an armed struggle against the Iraqi central government.

- After the second Gulf war Kurdish opposition to the Iraqi central government took a new turn.

A closer relationship between PUK and the Kurdish Democratic Party, the other ruling party in Kurdistan, began.

-The 1992 elections in Kurdistan resulted in PUK and KDP forming a joint cabinet. They continue to rule the Kurdistan region today.

_ In April 2003 the USA launched a war against the Iraqi government in Baghdad. As a result the PUK and KDP united in their demand for Kurdish national rights in Iraq.

PUK has played an important role in the changes following the fall of the Baath regime in 2003.

It helped set up the new governing council, took part in the temporary government in the transformation phase and helped organise the elections which produced the current Iraqi government.

PUK BASE IN KIRKUK

-PUK is considered the main political party in the polycosmic Kirkuk, in which different ethnicities and religions live.

-According to latest statistics and numbers of 2012 provided to Kirkuk Now by PUK, the party has about 55,000 members in Kirkuk.

The party also includes about 10,000 Arab, Turkman, Chaldean and Assyrian members.

PUK has its headquarters in Kirkuk with 27 committees in the areas surrounding the city.

-In the 2010 elections PUK won five out of six parliamentary seats for the Kurds.

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