Dr Ma'sum Denies Wish To Secede From Iraq, Views Kirkuk's Status

June 12, 2005

From: Al-Sharq al-Awsat in Arabic

Dr Fu'ad Ma'sum, member of the Political Bureau of the PUK and the first vice-president of the committee drafting the permanent Iraqi constitution, has stated that Iraq's Kurds do not wish to add Kirkuk to the Kurdistan region against the will of its population but rather with their own free will through a referendum. He pointed out that drafting and discussing the constitution would not take much time because we are in agreement on the basic themes. He noted that the State Administrative Law for the transitional period, which had addressed many Iraqi issues, could serve as a real working paper in the drafting of the Iraqi constitution.

Kirkuk referendum using 1958 records

Speaking to Al-Sharq al-Awsat in London yesterday, Ma'sum said: A federation is a federation. Some people in Iraq refer to it as an administrative federation and others call it a geographic or ethnic federation. However, it is a federation and, like any governorate, has administrative divisions, specific geographical boundaries and is related to the central government. This is what the Kurdistan federation is like. If other federations are established in the future in the south (Basra, Al-Amarah and Al-Nasiriyah) or in the centre between Karbala and Al-Najaf or Karbala and Al-Hillah they too will have their boundaries. He noted that the Kurds did not wish to annex Kirkuk against the will of its people. He added: We will return to the State Administrative Law, which is Iraq's current constitution and will follow what it said about Kirkuk. After the period of normalization, the return of the displaced people to their homes and the compensation of the recent arrivals, a referendum will be held.

If the people of Kirkuk agree to join Kurdistan, they are welcome. If they disagree, things will remain as they are. This does not mean that the recent arrivals will take part in the referendum. Perhaps we can go back to the birth records of 1958 and let the people included in this census and their sons take part in the referendum. He denied the presence of Iranian or Kurdish Kurds in Kirkuk for the purpose of taking part in the referendum in favour of Iraqi Kurds. He noted that these are groundless rumours.

"Iraq is swimming on a sea of oil"

Ma'sum added: Our Arab brothers believe that if we get Kirkuk we will secede from Iraq, which is unfounded. We are Iraqis, the same way you are Iraqi, so why would we secede from Iraq. Iraqi Kurdistan is an Iraqi land for Iraqis of all religions, sects, and ethnic communities. There are Kurds in Baghdad, Al-Amarah, Al-Ramadi, Basra and all over Iraq. There are Arabs in Arbil and Al-Sulaymaniyah and nobody tells them to leave or attacks them simply because they are Arabs. He noted that the existence of oil in Kirkuk was not an incentive for the Kurds to secede from their motherland. He added: According to studies, Kirkuk's oil is becoming very limited and oil exists in all other parts of the Kurdistan region. In addition, there are precious minerals in Iraq other than oil. Iraq is swimming in a sea of oil. We are simply asking to correct the mistakes committed by the former regime by destroying Kurdish villages that belong to Kurdistan. The regime also separated administrative districts and areas from Kurdistan and added them to other governorates. The regime exercised a policy of displacement and Arabization. All we want is to set the record straight and return the districts and areas detached from the Kurdistan region to Kurdistan and allow the evacuees to return home.

Constitution

Regarding the drafting of the permanent Iraqi constitution, Ma'sum said: I do not believe that the discussions on the constitution will take much time because there is agreement on the basic themes. We will set up committees to discuss and deliberate on each theme. These committees will not be entitled to cast conclusive votes because the results must be reached through consensus. He noted that he had proposed the addition of 46 members from outside the National Assembly to the 55-member committee in charge of drafting the constitution to represent the Sunni Arabs, other parties, and sects not represented in the National Assembly.

Ma'sum stressed that the Basic Administrative Law is regarded as a successful paper that could be relied upon in drafting the constitution. As Iraqi members of the Governing Council, he added, we participated in drafting this law, which is not an American law as some people claim. He noted the importance of a successful formula of the constitution that pleases all sides.