Close The Rift Between KDP And PUK!

By: Dr. Nazhad Khasraw Hawramany

May 11, 2005

In the political skies of Kurdistan there are some dark clouds nowadays due to the ever increasing distrust and political wrangling between KDP and PUK. The old-new differences between the two parties and the rivalry which unfortunately still exists between them have surfaced up, in spite of the futile public assurances from their top political figures that every thing is under control and that it's about some trivial opinion differences.

It has always been the policies of previous Iraqi regimes and neighbouring countries to struck a wedge between KDP and PUK, to prevent agreement and reconciliation between those parties, and they have always tried to favor one of them over the other so that those two parties remain always as rivals and in a conflict situation( divide and conquer policy).

Those policies dominated politics in Iraqi Kurdistan and succeeded in initiating a civil war in Kurdistan between those parties from 1994-1996, which in turn caused thousands of victims and displaced people on both sides as well as the splitting of the Kurdistan regional governments into two rival administrations in Slemani and Hawler (Erbil).

The Kurdish public saw in the Iraqi and Kurdistani elections of 30 January 2005, a unique opportunity to settle those differences once and for all and to unite the Kurdish political front as well as unifying the two administrations, and therefore they have participated energetically in record numbers in those elections and the Kurdistani List achieved thereby excellent results. 

Since then however certain negative developments occurred which led to coolness and deterioration in relation between KDP and PUK like a chain reaction:

1. As Mr Jalal Talabani was appointed as the first ever Kurdish president of Iraq, some elements in the PUK initiated celebrations in a very divisive way, where only the green flags of PUK and only portraits of Mr. Talabani were raised there by provocating the supporters of KDP.  It could have been much more beautiful and glorious when only flags of Kurdistan were raised and also portraits of other Kurdish leaders like Mr. Barzani were raised to cement the atmosphere of reconciliation, because Mr. Talabani after all was a candidate of the victorious Kurdistani List and not the PUK.

2. As a tit for tat the KDP deprived the PUK of any posts in the governorate councils of Hawler (Erbil) and Duhok, although that the PUK was the second strongest block and should have got the post of deputy governor or head of the council. this has created bitter response among the rank and file of PUK.

3. As a result of that the PUK put obstacles in the nomination of Mr Abdulrahman Mustafa as governor of Kirkuk and put forwards its own candidate Mr. Rizgar Ali. This competition has left the governorate council of Kirkuk in limbo, thereby destroying the good results of Brotherhood List with 26 seats out of 41 seats in  the Kirkuk elections. Any further delay in establishing a working government in Kirkuk jeopardizes the efforts to rejoin Kirkuk to Kurdistan.

4. This rivalry has led to differences over the authorities of the proposed president post for the federal region of Kurdistan, which Mr. Barzani is supposed to overtake.

5. The Parliament of Kurdistan has failed so far to hold its first session some three and half months after the elections because of intransigence of political leadership of both parties. This created a great dismay and frustration among Kurdish public and casts doubts about the actual attitude of those parties about democracy and the importance of a parliament directly elected by the people of Kurdistan.

This atmosphere of distrust and rivalry can harm the Kurdish cause to great extent and threatens our ability to achieve federalism, democracy and rejoining of Kirkuk, Shangal, Shekhan and Khanaquin into Kurdistan federal province.

There are certain elements in both parties who are trying to escalate this conflict instead of reconciliation. Such elements must be exposed and thrown out.

All Kurdish intellectuals and political forces are called upon to put pressure on both KDP and PUK and encourage them to settle their differences through dialogue and to strengthen their cooperation to achieve a unified democratic government in Kurdistan and enshrine Kurdish rights in the permanent constitution.