Erbil: The host city of sports t ournaments - Kurdish Globe
Erbil: The host city of sports t ournaments - Kurdish Globe
Erbil: The host city of sports t ournaments - Kurdish Globe
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Kurdish</strong> <strong>Globe</strong> No. 276, Saturday, October 09, 2010 2<br />
Breaking up or democratic pluralism<br />
<strong>Globe</strong> Editorial<br />
Following the inconclusive rese<br />
sults <strong>of</strong> Iraqi general election<br />
in March this year, the formate<br />
tion <strong>of</strong> a new government is in<br />
tatters in Iraq. <strong>The</strong> struggle for<br />
power and patronage within<br />
Iraqi political actors, regional<br />
interferences in Iraqi politics,<br />
and the U.S. position within all<br />
these are some <strong>of</strong> the main facte<br />
tors in this delay. <strong>The</strong> deadlock<br />
<strong>of</strong> a government formation,<br />
however, seems to be coming to<br />
an end as the National Alliance,<br />
a combination <strong>of</strong> various Shiite<br />
groups, decided to nominate<br />
current Prime Minister Nuri al-<br />
Maliki for the premier post.<br />
Since the <strong>of</strong>ficial announceme<br />
ment <strong>of</strong> election results, Shiite<br />
groups failed to agree on a singe<br />
gle candidate for the premier<br />
post, and torturous, prolonged<br />
negotiations and bargaining<br />
within over the issue <strong>of</strong> who is<br />
going to get the top position bece<br />
came one <strong>of</strong> the main obstacles<br />
in the way toward forming the<br />
new government.<br />
Resolution amongst the Shiie<br />
ites on Maliki has removed this<br />
obstacle, but it is not the end<br />
<strong>of</strong> the game. Maliki still has to<br />
make serious decisions before<br />
he can assure his position and<br />
form a new Iraqi government.<br />
One <strong>of</strong> the most serious and<br />
fundamental decisions includes<br />
the role and place <strong>of</strong> the Kurds<br />
in the new government.<br />
An influential <strong>Kurdish</strong> leade<br />
er, Nechirvan Barzani, former<br />
KRG premier and now Kurdiste<br />
tan Democratic Party’s vice<br />
president announced his pleasue<br />
ure <strong>of</strong> Maliki’s candidacy. <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Kurdish</strong> support for Maliki is<br />
essential as the Shiite coalition<br />
cannot alone secure the majorie<br />
ity seats at the Iraqi Parliament<br />
to form the government. For<br />
Maliki to get the support <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Kurdistan Alliance, he has to<br />
accept the proposals presented<br />
by the alliance as a prerequisite<br />
to join or participate in a new<br />
government formation.<br />
Maliki had already met Kurdie<br />
ish President Massoud Barze<br />
zani and other leading Kurdie<br />
ish political actors to conceive<br />
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki gestures as he speaks during a joint press conference with Massud Barzani (unseen),<br />
president <strong>of</strong> Kurdistan Region, in the northern <strong>city</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Erbil</strong> on August 08, 2010.<br />
their support and coalition.<br />
Throughout his meetings with<br />
the Kurds, Maliki seemed to<br />
accept <strong>Kurdish</strong> demands. But<br />
this is not clear or easy.<br />
Maliki could also opt to get the<br />
support <strong>of</strong> the Sunnis or the al-<br />
Iraqiya list led by former Prime<br />
Minister Iyad Allawi. Though<br />
Allawi himself is a Shiite, the<br />
list that he leads is a conglome<br />
eration <strong>of</strong> Sunni groups in Iraq.<br />
Most groups within Iraqiya list<br />
are accused by many Kurds <strong>of</strong><br />
being Baathists and chauvinie<br />
ists, such as Mosul Governor<br />
Athel al-Nujaifi.<br />
Despite the fact that al-Iraqiya<br />
representatives announced that<br />
they will not join in any potente<br />
tial government led by Maliki,<br />
there were some reports that<br />
indicate negotiations between<br />
Maliki’s State <strong>of</strong> Law and <strong>of</strong>fe<br />
ficials <strong>of</strong> al-Iraqiya discussie<br />
ing a possible deal to form a<br />
new government. According<br />
to a “Washington Post” repe<br />
port last Monday, Allawi had<br />
a phone call with the leader <strong>of</strong><br />
the Sadrist movement, Muqtade<br />
der Sadr, who is living in Iran,<br />
in which he reiterated that his<br />
support for Maliki was condite<br />
tional on including Allawi as a<br />
key player. «Muqtadar said he<br />
won>t keep the alliance with<br />
Maliki unless Dr. Allawi is the<br />
president with more authorite<br />
ties,>> the report quoted from<br />
an anonymous Iraqiya <strong>of</strong>ficial.<br />
Such a possible deal between<br />
Maliki and Allawi without a<br />
doubt will sideline the Kurds. A<br />
Shiite and Sunni alliance could<br />
not only strip the Kurds from<br />
the presidency post, but more<br />
crucial than that the <strong>Kurdish</strong><br />
demands, including the impleme<br />
mentation <strong>of</strong> the Iraqi Constite<br />
tution, the position <strong>of</strong> <strong>Kurdish</strong><br />
Peshmerga forces, the oil deals,<br />
and power sharing will also be<br />
jeopardized. Sunni groups are<br />
vehemently against <strong>Kurdish</strong><br />
demands. A possible deal bete<br />
tween Maliki and Allawi would<br />
be a serious and dangerous deve<br />
velopment for the Kurds.<br />
In such eventuality, the only<br />
path that would remain for the<br />
Kurds is to go their own way;<br />
in other words: secession from<br />
Iraq. Kurdistan Region is ready<br />
in terms <strong>of</strong> its institutions, culte<br />
ture, manpower, and social, pole<br />
litical, and economic structure<br />
to establish its own independe<br />
ent statehood.<br />
However, for the Kurds to reme<br />
main as part <strong>of</strong> Iraq and within<br />
the Iraqi political establishment,<br />
Iraqi political actors should reae<br />
alize the genuine national rights<br />
<strong>of</strong> the <strong>Kurdish</strong> nation. Rather<br />
than pursue exclusive Arab<br />
nationalism, the Iraqi actors<br />
should pursue multi-cultural,<br />
multi-national, democratic, and<br />
inclusive policies to keep Iraq<br />
integrated and united.<br />
Sidelining the Kurds and their<br />
demands will tear Iraq apart. At<br />
the same time, lack <strong>of</strong> Sunni<br />
participation in the new Iraqi<br />
government would also cause<br />
serious problems and destabile<br />
lize Iraq. A broad, countrywide<br />
coalition includes all the main<br />
components <strong>of</strong> Iraq; however,<br />
this is a very difficult task.<br />
<strong>The</strong> demands <strong>of</strong> each <strong>of</strong> them<br />
are irreconcilable. For exampe<br />
ple, most Sunni groups--as the<br />
practice <strong>of</strong> Mosul Governor<br />
al-Nujaifi and his Hadba List<br />
indicate--are against the impe<br />
plementation <strong>of</strong> certain articles<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Constitution and federal<br />
structure <strong>of</strong> Iraq. Without fede<br />
eralism and implementation <strong>of</strong><br />
the Iraqi Constitution, there is<br />
no way the Kurds can be part <strong>of</strong><br />
government or remain as part <strong>of</strong><br />
Iraq as a whole. It is high time<br />
SAFIN HAMED/AFP/Getty Images<br />
for Sunnis to give up on their<br />
exclusive Arab nationalism and<br />
adapt to the new realities and<br />
conditions <strong>of</strong> Iraq in the 21st<br />
century.<br />
Hypothetically, the Sunnis<br />
could play an effective role<br />
<strong>of</strong> opposition in Parliament to<br />
check the government action<br />
and policies and bring them<br />
into accountability. Any proper<br />
functioning democratic system<br />
needs proper and strong oppose<br />
sition.<br />
Arab nationalism and centralie<br />
ism brought Iraq during the<br />
20th century nothing but disaste<br />
ter and chaos. A chance must be<br />
given to democracy and pluralie<br />
ism to get Iraq out <strong>of</strong> its current<br />
state <strong>of</strong> affairs and into a peacefe<br />
ful and democratic country.<br />
Some <strong>of</strong> Iraq’s neighbors and<br />
the U.S. fear that a Maliki-led<br />
government with the support <strong>of</strong><br />
the Sadr movement may lean<br />
toward Iran and intensify Iran’s<br />
influence in Baghdad. Probably<br />
because <strong>of</strong> this fear alone, they<br />
wish to see Allawi and Sunnis<br />
participating in the government<br />
formation and rebuke Iran’s infe<br />
fluence in Baghdad.<br />
A potential Shiite and Kurdie<br />
ish coalition government with<br />
the application <strong>of</strong> <strong>Kurdish</strong> deme<br />
mands would be a better and<br />
more effective way to curb<br />
Iran’s influence in the country.<br />
A more democratic, plural, and<br />
federal Iraq means less influe<br />
ence by Iran or other regional<br />
powers in the country.<br />
After almost seven months<br />
following the general election,<br />
Iraq is still in search <strong>of</strong> forming<br />
a new government. <strong>The</strong>re are<br />
still serious challenges ahead.<br />
With complete U.S. troop withde<br />
drawal on its way, Iraq remains<br />
a fragile country on the brink<br />
<strong>of</strong> disintegration. Two solute<br />
tions can remedy this fragility:<br />
either breaking up the country<br />
into three, or establishing a<br />
democratic and plural political<br />
system. <strong>The</strong> political mindset<br />
<strong>of</strong> most <strong>of</strong> the Iraqi political acte<br />
tors unfortunately indicates the<br />
former option is more likely<br />
than the latter.<br />
Azad Amin<br />
Weekly paper printed in <strong>Erbil</strong><br />
First published in 2005<br />
www.kurdishglobe.net<br />
info.kurdishglobe<br />
@gmail.com<br />
Address:<br />
<strong>Erbil</strong>, Bakhtiyari Quarter<br />
EXECUTIVE EDITOR<br />
Jawad Qadir<br />
EDITOR<br />
Azad Amin<br />
+964 750 4504653<br />
azad.kurdishglobe@gmail.com<br />
Senior U.S. Editor<br />
Suzanne DeRouen<br />
suzi.kurdishglobe@yahoo.com<br />
Senior U.K. Editor<br />
Bashdar Pusho Ismaeel<br />
+44 752 5130336<br />
Ako Muhammed<br />
+964 750 4661936<br />
ako.kurdishglobe@gmail.com<br />
Aiyob Mawloodi<br />
+964 750 4776905<br />
aiyob.kurdishglobe@gmail.com<br />
Qassim Khidhir<br />
+964 750 4823081<br />
qassim.kurdishglobe@gmail.com<br />
STAFF WRITERS<br />
Sazan M. Mandalawi<br />
sazan.kurdishglobe@gmail.com<br />
Zakaria Muhammed<br />
+964 750 475 3897<br />
zakaria.kurdishglobe@gmail.com<br />
Hawzhen Rashadaddin<br />
+964 750 4707416<br />
hawjin.kurdishglobe@gmail.com<br />
ARTS EDITOR<br />
Diyaco Qayoumy +964 750 4036252<br />
diyaco.kurdishglobe@gmail.com<br />
Advertisement<br />
For information and prices <strong>of</strong> ad spots, please contact<br />
<strong>Globe</strong>’s Advertisement section: Rizgar Yahya<br />
info.kurdishglobe@gmail.com<br />
Cell: +964 750 470 49 99<br />
You can also check prices and packages by logging<br />
on to: kurdishglobe.net/ad<br />
Subscription<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Kurdish</strong> <strong>Globe</strong> can be delivered to your <strong>of</strong>fice or<br />
home address, whether in Kurdistan or abroad.<br />
To subscribe: Please contact the <strong>Globe</strong> Distribution<br />
Section: Rauf Aspindarai<br />
rauf.kurdishglobe@gmail.com<br />
+964 750 4497976<br />
You can also subscribe by logging onto:<br />
kurdishglobe.net/subscription