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At polling stations in
this biggest of the mainly Kurdish cities of the
north, there was little of the bustle and excitement
that accompanied the general elections here on 30
January.
Polling started slowly, and at some of the city's
voting stations, never moved beyond a trickle that
dried up altogether for a while in the middle of a
long, hot day in the Islamic fasting month of
Ramadan, which is widely observed in Iraqi
Kurdistan.
On a tour of voting centres, there was no sign of
the enthusiastic queues and crowds that were a
feature of the January elections.
With traffic banned for the day, streets were
deserted apart from children playing football in the
dust. At times, polling officials far outnumbered
electors turning out to vote.
The Independent Iraqi Electoral Commission in
Baghdad said voting figures in the Kurdish region
ranged between 33% and 66% - well below the turnout
in the January poll.
Self-rule
But those who did vote were enthusiastic.
"We want to show people that we are Kurds and we are
voting, we are proud to show people that we also
have the right to be a partner in the new Iraq,"
said Shahin Omar, resplendent in one of the
glittering, spangly robes worn by Kurdish women on
special occasions.
"Of course it's a step towards being independent,
that's what we believe and that's why we're voting,"
she added.
"Anyone who says 'No' is not an Iraqi and not a
Kurd. There's no 'No' here in Kurdistan," said
another voter.
There was little doubt that the vast majority of
those who did vote, recorded a "Yes" for the new
Iraqi draft constitution.
That is hardly surprising. The draft envisages a
loose federal system that endorses the self-rule the
Kurds have been developing assiduously for the past
14 years.
They have their own parliament, their own government
- in fact two of them, as the region is split
between the two big Kurdish parties - and their own
security forces.
The new constitution would bless all that, and also
allow the Kurds a large measure of control over
vital natural resources - oil, gas and water.
The freedoms given to the Kurds and other regions
led some Iraqi Sunni leaders to reject the draft,
saying it would lead to Iraq's dismemberment.
So the apparently apathetic show of approval from
the Kurds was ironic, given that it offers them so
much.
Kurdish leaders will be disappointed with the low
turnout, assuming it is confirmed. They had
predicted at least a 70% vote.
One possible explanation was that many did not
bother to vote because they regarded the outcome as
a foregone conclusion.
'Right to independence'
Practically all Kurds dream of outright
independence. For some, the constitution may not
have gone far enough.
Others may have stayed away because they are
disgruntled with the two big parties - the Kurdistan
Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of
Kurdistan - which have divided the north between
them.
Some ordinary Kurds blame them for poor economic
conditions and autocratic practices.
In January, there was more at stake and more
competition to prod the voters to turn out in the
country's first post-Baathist general election.
They wanted to win the biggest possible stake in the
Baghdad parliament. The poll also included regional
and provincial elections, sparking lively
competition between the parties.
The constitutional referendum saw little of the
colourful campaigning that marked the January
elections. The general level of public excitement
was low.
In a BBC interview on the eve of the referendum, the
President of Iraqi Kurdistan, Masoud Barzani,
strongly defended the draft, saying it represented
the last chance of holding Iraq together.
"Let's be frank and clear," he said. "The Kurdish
nation has the right to establish an independent
state, just like any other nation in the world.
"But for now, it's in our interest to stay in Iraq,
on condition that it's a federal, democratic,
pluralistic Iraq.
"We can't accept totalitarian rule or an Iraq ruled
by dictatorship or a single party. If Iraq is ruled
by a constitution like this [new one], we can live
in it, in brotherhood and great happiness.
"I believe that if this constitution is applied, and
adhered to, that will be what holds Iraq together."
www.bbc.co.uk
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