PKK Joins the Political Fray in Iraqi Kurdistan

[Aslan]

The Kurdistan Democratic Solution Party (PCDK) is said to participate in the next elections in the Kurdistan Region, after being banned in Iraq since 2006 as a result of US and Turkish pressure over its links to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

The PCDK was established by the PKK in 2002 and since then has had problems with both the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the Kurdistan Region’s two ruling parties.

In the regional elections in Kurdistan and the Iraqi national polls in 2005, PCDK did not even manage to get one percent of the votes, demonstrating its limited public support. The party failed to appeal to voters because of its failure to insist on better public services, corruption, jobs and other everyday concerns of the average citizen. The PKK is focused on war, not services in Kurdistan.

In 2006, the PCDK offices in Kurdistan were closed and some members arrested, and in 2009, the PCDK’s Hiwa (hope) list was not allowed to participate in the elections.

But the peace process in Turkey, which was a result of talks between the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the PKK, opened more room for the PKK to maneuver in Iraqi Kurdistan, as well as in Europe. One of the results has been that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is allowing the PCDK to participate in the next elections.

Surprisingly, this has gone seemingly unnoticed by Turkey, which has issued no warnings.

It is doubtful that the PCDK could capture many seats in the Kurdish elections unless it allies with the Islamist parties and the Change Movement (Gorran), something it is unlikely to do.

The PCDK rejoins the political fray in Kurdistan at a time when several important issues are occupying all parties: Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani has been lobbying for a presidential system over a parliamentary one, because that would bolster his power and political survival; he may want to stand for a third four-year term; and there is disagreement among the parties over the draft constitution.

It now remains to be seen what kind of role the PKK is going to play in the political games in Kurdistan through its proxy.