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KurdistanObserver.com
Article 140 and The Future of Iraq
A Conference Sponsored by
Washington Kurdish Institute, the Penn Program in Ethnic Conflict – Univ. of
Pennsylvania,
and the Kurdish National Congress of NA
Friday May 9, 2008
9:00am to 5:00pm
Location:
2172 Rayburn House Office
Building
Capitol Hill, Washington D.C.
Independence & South Capitol
St, SW
Capitol South Metro Stop -
Blue and Orange Lines
Please RSVP to
wki@kurd.org or
knc@kurdishnationalcongress.org
Please send name, affiliation,
and daytime telephone number
Registration is Required
(Space is Limited)
Article 140 of the Iraqi
Constitution mandates a process of normalization and referendum for disputed
territories, although it continues to be a vexing issue which needs to be
addressed. The most significant of these disputed territories is the governorate
and city of
Kirkuk,
which suffered ethnic cleansing and expulsion by the Baathist regime of
Saddam Hussein.
Makhmur, Sinjar, Khanaqeen and other areas of rural Kurdistan also fall under
the jurisdiction of Article 140.
The future of Iraq depends on
Article 140 and its aim of using a democratic and constitutional framework to
address problems that are long overdue for resolution. The Iraqi government
failed to meet the 2007 deadline for Kirkuk specified by Article 140, which
includes full normalization and a referendum on unifying with the Kurdistan
Regional Government. A six-month extension was granted to fulfill this
constitutional obligation.
Speakers at the conference
will discuss all dimensions of Article 140 and its implementation. The program
for the event will be forthcoming.
Dr. Najmaldin Karim, President
of WKI
Dr. Saman Shali, President of
KNCNA
Prof. Brendan O’Leary,
Director of the Penn Program
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