ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The two top winners of autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan’s parliamentary polls in September – which may be forced into an uneasy partnership government – have began exchanging complaints and expressions of distrust.
The opposition Change Movement (Gorran), which beat rival Patriotic Union of Kurdistan at the polls – particularly in Sulaimani province where both are strong – has complained of exclusion in the local government and warned it will no longer stand for it.
The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which retained its position as the strongest party at the polls, has said it does not trust a partnership with Gorran in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) because the party could walk out of government.
“We are the major force in the city but instead of handing us over the governorate of Sulaimani, our members are being expelled from its administration,” Gorran leader Nawshirwan Mustafa told a meeting of party members in Sulaimani’s city council and regional administration.
In remarks that senior Gorran members said were a warning to the KDP and PUK, Mustafa said his party would no longer accept being treated this way in Sulaimani. “We are excluded and marginalized,” he complained.
The Kurdistan Region has not held provincial elections since 2005, because they have been constantly delayed.
A KDP leadership member said the party does not trust Gorran because it may accept a partnership in the government, but continue to act as the opposition.
“We are not sure about Gorran; there is no guarantee that they will not withdraw from the government” before the four-year term is over, the KDP official said.
Safin Malaqara, a senior Gorran member, confirmed the KDP’s fears. “If we participate in the government and see that it does not abide by the program we will withdraw,” he said.
But Shoresh Haji disagreed with his fellow Gorran colleague. “We can guarantee that we will not withdraw from the government if we participated,” Haji said.
Horse trading between the Kurdish political parties is still in its initial stages. The PUK’s defeat and Gorran’s upper hand has changed the political landscape of Kurdistan, with the path to the formation of the next government riddled with hurdles.
Mustafa’s remarks were a wake-up call for the PUK, which came third at the polls and counts Sulaimani as its stronghold.
The PUK warned of any attempts to disturb peace in Sulaimani. “We will take legal measures against any attempts to cause trouble and disturb the calm of the city,” the PUK said in a statement. It also confirmed its support for provincial elections.
A PUK leadership member, speaking to Rudaw on condition of anonymity, said that Mustafa’s remarks were “very dangerous.” He said that Gorran must be in the next government in the interests of stability and peace.
“PUK has less popular support and Gorran is capable of doing everything,” he said.
In addition to street support, Gorran’s supporters are in security positions, the Peshmarga forces and even within PUK organizations, he noted. “These are all grave threats to the PUK,” he added.
In the September 21 polls for the 111-seat Kurdish legislature, KDP came first with 38 seats, Gorran won 24 and PUK gained only 18.
Comments
7 2 Xelil | yesterday at 05:09
Look to Gorran, after their visit to Iran they start to attack the PDK and YNK again. And then they wonder why nobody want to form a Government with them. Gorran do not want a partnership, they want to play the role of the opposition inside the Government do destroy the Government. That would harm Kurdistan. Kurdistan needs a good working Government and that can only happen if parties work in harmony from it. The only Parties in harmony are the liberal parties PDK and YNK and on the other side the leftist and islamic parties Gorran, Yakgrtu and Komal. I prefer the liberal parties PDK and YNK to form the next Government.
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5 0 Baran | yesterday at 05:15
A democracy needs also a opposition, so not every party should join the government. The winner PDK have the right to form the Government and parties who not agree with the PDK should join the opposition. It is not good to join the government just to leave it later, that will just cause problems, but Kurdistan needs stability.
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3 0 Bakir Lashkari | 5/11/2013
Goran seems to be the winner, however success is one time! The art how could tou sustain such a top winner if you do not have the right program or startegy for the people of Kurdistan and its the future plan? There is no doubt that democracy can most easily flourish in the Kurdish family and in other small groups built to the scale of the individual. Democracy therefore seems to require smallness. William Morris for the Morris car. Destroying bigness would not only reduce the standard of living; it would also destroy democracy. Therefore I believe that the KDP & PUK are still the major two political coalition parties, although the Goran movement pretending to be the top winner, but for how long? But higher efficiency has not been gained without social cost. In the small group, in the family, amongst friends at work or in the pub, in the little ships of the navy – the person has a feeling of comradeship of Peshmerga's and a sense of belonging: the individual matters and his self-respect is supported by the respect of his fellows. But in the large group the individual is only too likely to be and feel powerless and insignificant. How can the individual be made to matter more?" If Goran thinks that they can run the City Suli by its own Goran political movement, this means that Goran is an old fashion primative group of sheiks, tribes and frustrated political figures who lost its respect and image among the Kurdish society. Goran does not know anyhthing about the democracy, it sems that they are beloning to an Islamic groups related to Iran. It is pitty that Goran thinks that they can jusge, control and manage the city Suli, outside of the KRG Kurdistan Region. It seems to me that they anarchists rather democratic movement, if they do not comply with the local, regional and international democratic principles.
