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Two design kitchens are
shining in the showroom of the new villa district
Dream-city. A Kurdish couple, he in the
double-breasted suite, she in a yellow coat with a
fitting headscarf, let their hands slide on the
cupboard and the sink, over a year their villa will
be completed at the edge of the city Arbil.
A smiley salesman is showing and demonstrating all
the equipments, wardrobes and the design faucets to
the couple. From the 1.200 villas that will be built
in the southern part of Arbil, the half is already
sold. Prices ranging between 150.000 and 650.000
euro, makes the villas of Dream-city only available
for VIPs, says the real estate agent Jabbar Mazem.
Important people in Arbil are the high officials of
the Kurdistan Democratic Party, who dominate this
part of the Kurdish region. They will not lack
anything in Dream-city. There will be schools,
western supermarkets, and Internet connections. High
walls and guards will surround the whole complex. “
Nobody will be able to enter easily”, Mazem ensures
us . ”Who lives here, will be safe from the outside
world”. Danger is not the reason, in this region
which is been split since 1991 between the KDP and
its rival patriotic union of Kurdistan(PUK). Now the
central rule of Saddam Hussein has been ended by the
American allies, the confidence of the Kurdish
parties is rising with no limit. Huge projects, one
after the other, is being started. Recently an
international airport has been opened in Arbil,
arranging direct flights to Frankfurt and Beirut.
In Suleimani, where PUK dominates, they are working
on large hotels. The American president George Bush
often labels Kurdistan as democratic and
economically an example for the rest of Iraq. But in
reality, slogans about prosperity and democracy are
angering the Kurdish population increasingly these
days. The economy is growing, but only a small group
of powerful officials are benefiting from it. With
an average salary of 200 euro a month, most of the
Kurds have little interest in these mega-projects,
or they can take a job as a guard.
While the bulldozers preparing the construction site
of Dream-city, there is only a few hours a day of
electricity. And since last week there is no petrol
available for regular Kurds. Black traders where you
can find them everywhere, sell petrol for fierce
prices. Who knows the right people or have money can
drive these days. Selling large pieces of land, and
construction contracts goes exclusively to those who
are near the power. Everyone here has a story about
corruption, nepotism and power abuse by the members
of the two large political parties.
“A teacher was allowed to buy a piece of land near
the new airport, but a couple of months later, he
was forced to sell it back to the government for the
same price”, tells Najad Ahmad (26), editor of the
independent Hawlati newspaper. That land was
necessary for Dream-city. Last week there was a
fight in a high school in Arbil. One of the boys,
son of a KDP member, brought 4 militia members to
beat up his rival. “Nepotism is part of daily life”,
explain Ahmad.
The political life in Iraqi Kurdistan is totally
dominated by PUK and KDP. “The problem is, that the
two parties and the government here are identical”.
Says Nabas Goran (26). “ In Kurdistan, there is no
citizen rights, you are a party member or not”.
Goran is co-founder of the movement Tarmaie(Shadow).
The non-party students and intellectuals, who are
members of Tarmaie, want to address and exterminate
corruption, demand more rights and voice for regular
citizens.
The Kurds are allowed to vote, so there is
democracy, the two party arguments.
At the same time, both parties refuse to merge the
two parts of Iraqi Kurdistan and establish a single
administration: a step, which can lead to a true
electoral competition. For regular Kurds, democracy
ends at the ballot boxes. There is no freedom of
expression, law enforcement and separation of power.
That is what Tarmaie concludes a couple of weeks
ago. In reaction to the anti-government
demonstration in the Kurdish city Kalar, 30 members
of the group wanted to demonstrate as well in Arbil.
In the demonstration of Kalar, police bullets
wounded 8 people. The goal of the demonstration was
achieved, more hours electricity and fuel.
“ It is clear that parties only listen to public
disobedience”, says Goran. But demonstrating in
Arbil without permission is forbidden, and behind
every tree stands security agents. The demonstration
had to stop.
Tarmaie is not alone. Since the Iraqi parliament
elections of January, there is a swing under the
population. The parties, which were sacred before
the fall of Saddam, have lost their credibility in
this form; and they are not considered serious
options for the future. This is the reason why many
Kurds did not go for the vote on constitution in 15
October (although it was announced by the government
that 84% voted in Arbil).
The political mood is changed, remarks Najad Ahmad
the editor of Hawlati.
“The Kurdish citizens are taking advantage of the
focus of the world on Iraq, to dare express more ”.
The KDP is clearly shocked according to hem. That’s
why; a youth parliament has been founded. But
critical youth took immediately distance from this
initiative. Through a signature campaign, many young
Kurds denounced the Youth parliament and labeled it
as not representative.
The chairman of the KDP in the parliament, Nasih
Ghafoor Ramadan, is aware of the people’s complain,
but he doesn’t want to discuss it deeper. He thinks”
People have the right to complain, but some
exaggerate”.
“We know that we have problems supplying electricity
and fuel, and that will stay like that for awhile”
explains another party spokesman.
According to the dissident Goran, change is
inevitable. “There has not been any change here for
very long time, and that frustrates and anger
people. People are becoming more critical, and think
for themselves” Says Goran. “And that will lead to
something”.
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