Kurds must reconcile before outside powers capitalize on instability, warns KIU leader

Kurds must reconcile before outside powers capitalize on instability, warns KIU leader

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Leader of the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) Salahaddin Bahadin. Photo: Rudaw video

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The leader of the biggest Islamic party in the Kurdistan Region warned of the negative implications of the political gridlock in Kurdistan, saying the region risks breaking apart or devolving into civil war, a situation external powers will capitalize on. “We need to think about our situation,” before this happens, he said.
 
Salahaddin Bahadin, leader of the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU, also known as Yekgirtu) addressed a range of issues the Kurdistan Region is suffering from in an open discussion with a number of intellectuals and writers. He focused on Kurdistan's political stalemate, independence, and the post of president of the Kurdistan Region.
 
Speaking of the region’s political impasse, which has not been broken yet despite several recent developments, Bahadin warned, “We do not know what are the implications of these objectionable steps, but the breaking apart of the Kurdistan Region is likely, civil war is likely and meddling in the region’s affairs by outside powers and people is also likely. So, before it reaches this stage, we should think about our situation.”
 
To bring the political gridlock to an end, Bahadin said “the political parties should show leniency towards each other.”
 
He believes the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) should be the first to step in “to show too much leniency,” followed by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), and Gorran (the Change Movement).
 
He said the Islamic parties, including his KIU and the Kurdistan Islamic League (Komal), will not put up barriers.
 
As time runs out, he said, the political parties in the region will be forced into actions that are not beneficial. “With time passing, we will take objectionable steps as time is running out.” He reiterated his call on the parties to be more serious in resolving issues.
 
The leader of the KIU refused the marginalization of any party on the path towards easing tensions and said his party will not be part of any such attempts, but will encourage the parties to look forward, rather than reviewing past problems.
 
The parties “should think of a resolution and history should not be looked at. We are not with outing anyone. We have told the KDP and PUK that we as the KIU are not with doing something to exclude a party, we mean among the five parties as we should deal with the merit of elections.”
 
Commenting on the hottest topic in the Kurdistan Region, independence, Bahadin said Kurds are entitled to be independent.
 
“There are very few who think that Kurdistan should not be independent and stay as a region. A nation among the world's nations has the right to be independent... If a part of [Kurdistan] has been presented the opportunity, or at least talking about it has passed the sense of haram [forbidden], why should we withdraw from it or be remorseful," he asked.
 
He emphasized that his party has already put the question of independence on the agenda in their 2012 convention.
 
“In our strategy we are working and struggling for independence for Kurdistan," he proudly said.
 
In parts of his speech, he addressed the question of the position of Kurdistan Region President which has remained unsolved since August 19, 2015 when President Masoud Barzani’s term ended and political parties failed to reach an agreement despite nine consecutive five-way meetings. This failure was later followed by a deepening of rivalries between Gorran and KDP, especially when violent demonstrators in Sulaimani attacked KDP offices. The KDP accused Gorran of being the mastermind of these attacks and therefore ousted Gorran ministers in the government cabinet ruled by the KDP. In October 2015, the speaker of the parliament, who was also from the Gorran party, was denied entry into the capital of Kurdistan where the parliament building is located.
 
Bahadin told the attendants of the conference that Barzani wants to step down as president if the deadlocked parties reach an agreement.
 
“I have heard from Mr. Barzani several times saying ‘Don’t turn my question into a problem. You yourselves reach an agreement.’”
 
He said that Barzani regrets his role as president. “These days he said in an interview with Sharq al-Awsat when asked what are you regretting the most in your life, he answered: ‘When I accepted the region’s presidency.' This means he does not like it. He knows it is a headache. Indeed, it is a headache.”
 
Bahadin praised Barzani’s initiative when he urged the region’s political parties to resolve their differences during a press conference in the town of Bashiqa in late November 2016 after it was reclaimed from ISIS militants. Barzani urged the political parties in Kurdistan to lay the groundwork for meeting and changing the three leading positions of the region including the presidency, government, and parliament in a bid to resolve the existing problems that have plagued the region for at least two years.
 
“As it is apparent, Mr. Barzani has asked the parties to look for an alternative for him and he is ready to resign. As de facto, he has not done something wrong as he did not leave his post vacant. To whom should he leave, while there is no one to go forward, while there is no one who could represent this position. The thing is clear.”
 
Bahadin echoed Barzani’s sentiment when he said in an interview with Rudaw from Davos that, “The political parties have created this crisis. I don’t know whether or not they can resolve it. But surely they have created the crisis themselves. Let the party leaders meet.”
 
Bahadin added, “What has created this reality is these five parties. And only these five parties can resolve it. The other parties should step in to help as they have done in the past.”
 
He believes the KDP’s duty at this stage is “more difficult in this subject because the initiation has come from Mr. Masoud Barzani. The KDP should translate it and practice it as they have been doing it now and have checked with the parties. But, they are a little bit slow. They have to be faster in order to take advantage of time and not miss it.”