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| news headlines | Nechirvan
Barzani calls for a Federal Democratic Parliamentary State System in Iraq.
Birayeti June 10, 2002
Ladies and gentlemen In the proceedings of this conference, very important and diverse papers were presented on the present and future state of Iraq. There is no doubt that any next effort in this respect will benefit from the studies which were presented today. Iraq is composed of two main nations the Kurds and Arabs and other ethnic groups such as Turkomans, Assyrians and Chaldeans. Although Iraq is very rich in terms of human and natural resources, and has one of the oldest civilizations in the world, it has been suffering for a long time not only from internal problems and crises, but it lives [today] in an abnormal situation at the regional and international level. It has become a constant factor of instability [in the Middle East]. The problem of Iraq from the beginning has been the problem of governing system. Since its establishment in 1921, the state of Iraq has failed to produce an appropriate power system which reflects Iraq’s national, religious and social pluralism, and achieves a peaceful and decent life for its citizens. The minority has always ruled the majority. Whenever an individual has taken the reins of power, he subjected the whole society to the campaign of his personal tyranny. Thus in Iraq the individual has been deprived from individual personality and right to freedom. All this has created the ground for the emergence of current internal crises and external conflicts. As a result Iraq is viewed today as an outlaw defying international laws and customs and is suffering from severe economic sanctions. It is imperative that considerable changes in the type of relationship between people and power at home and the type of approach to the regional and international community are achieved. A proper political system must be created which can live peacefully and safely first with itself and then with neighbouring countries and the international community. The future Iraq should fill in the huge gap between government and people and deal with the lack of the sense of belonging and alienation of many social classes and strata. This lack of sense of belonging can be seen from the large numbers of Iraqi exiles abroad and the emigration of many of home experts and professionals to foreign countries… The main problem of Iraq since its very creation has been the Kurdish question, while injustice and unequal treatment have been practised against other sections of Iraqi people. Due to lack of a settlement to the Kurdish issue, problems, wars and political and social tensions have always existed in Iraq. Whenever Iraq faced internal unrests and difficulties, it has exported its crises and created conflict with neighbouring countries. The first [1980-1988] and second [1991] Gulf wars are proofs of this fact. This means that in order for Iraq to become stable and peaceful internally, it must resolve its principal problems which are the crisis of government system and the Kurdish issue. We find solution for these two problems in the following: 1. The future Iraq should be a federal democratic parliamentary state. It must, instead of war and conflict, exert efforts for the development of the country and social progress and has as its main aim the happiness and good living standard for its people. It must allocate its resources fairly for the development of all areas of Iraq. 2. The people of Kurdistan should be represented in the central government in Iraq according to the ratio of its population and should play its deserved role in the protection of security and the reconstruction of the country. The new constitution of Iraq should guarantee a federal entity within the borders of [Kurdistan] region with its own parliament, government and national institutions. We support democratic solution of the Kurdish question on the basis of federalism within the framework of Iraq. In our view, the protection of the present experience of the people of [Iraqi] Kurdistan and enhancing its achievements are the principal responsibilities of any future system in Iraq. The Kurdish people have struggled continuously and offered many sacrifices to achieve the state of freedom they enjoy today. They are very keen and ever ready to defend [their political experience]. The future Iraq must not only be a country which is worthy of this freedom, but it must also undertake its protection. Those Kurdish areas whose national character is changed by the Iraqi government’s [policy of Arabization] such as Kirkuk, Makhmur, Khanaqin, Shekhan, Snjar, Zmar and Mandali should be reintegrated within the borders of [Kurdistan] region and all the racist measures against Kurds, Turkomans and other ethnic groups will have to be abolished. The Kurdish people who constitute more than 25 per cent of the overall population of Iraq can become a main factor of stability in the future Iraq. The Kurdistan region’s experience over the last ten years has clearly demonstrated the fact that if opportunity afforded to Kurdish people, they can play an effective role in ensuring stability, practising democracy and reconstruction of the country. Here I would like to mention a number of points: 1. The experience of the last ten years of the Kurdistan people in areas of democracy, freedoms and development has been practiced despite difficult circumstances, obstacles and various problems and as testified by local and foreign observers considerable progress has been made. 2. The experience of Iraqi Kurdistan over the last ten years has proved that the Kurdish people can be an important factor for the protection of security and stability in the region. 3. In spite of many difficulties and obstacles created on our path, we have managed through continuous and huge efforts to create, within very difficult and extraordinary conditions, normal and to some extent good relationships on the basis of friendship, travel and other areas, with neighbouring countries. Although Kurdistan region has a long border with neighbouring countries we have tried to prevent trouble-making for them through the borders and we have never interfered in the internal affairs of our neighbours. 4. Despite a great deal of anti-Kurd propaganda, we have managed to a good degree, to build and develop relations with many Arab countries. Furthermore we have continuous strong friendship with a large number of Arab organizations and cultural, social and religious personalities. In the light of the above facts we can say with certainty that the experience of Iraqi Kurdistan can be made a model for all Iraq. It can be a bridge between today’s Iraq and future Iraq. This must be an Iraq which before anything else solves the question of the system of government and the Kurdish question. We the people of Kurdistan have never violated other people’s rights. But we ourselves have always been victims of tyranny, oppression and exploitation. If we are granted freedom and opportunity to take action, we may play a significant role in the making of future Iraq. In future Iraq we must talk to each other frankly, we must all read the previous books not with the purpose of revenge and building up hatred, but to learn lessons from them. We must not allow the repetition of tyranny, oppression, tragedy and inequality. A Kurd must be a complete Iraqi not a half-Iraqi or a second class Iraqi. This can only be achieved in a federal democratic Iraq. We have established a number of educational, cultural and human principles, as well as the spirit of tolerance which we adhere to. We find this new education as a necessity for the whole of Iraq. The new education which we want must prepare the way for respecting the opinions of others, the protection of rights and freedoms of individuals and groups. This education must be against terror and violence. We demand that all weapons of mass destruction are eliminated and Iraq be free from those weapons which in Halabja and tens of other places created death and tragedy for Kurdistan people. We wish that the problem of Iraq would be resolved in a peaceful way and that Iraq would accept to implement all international resolutions and allow inspectors of weapons of mass destruction to go back to Iraq. We believe that Iraqi Kurdistan can become the balance for a democratic, stable and developed Iraq which will live in peace and harmony with all its neighbours and become an active member of the international community. Finally
I see it as my duty to extend the infinite thanks of the people of Kurdistan
to those countries that have helped Kurdistan people, particularly the
United States, Britain and Turkey. Thanks to all humanitarian organizations
and NGOs that came to help our people in the hard days following the Kurdish
[1991] uprising. Thanks to UN agencies that have undertaken the implementation
of the UN Resolution 986 [oil-for-food programme] in Kurdistan. Thanks
to international media which have played a great role in familiarizing
the Kurdish question with public opinion in the public and official circles
in the world.
Thank
you for your attention
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