Jan 27, (RFE/RL) -
Kurdish leaders signed a long-awaited agreement on
21 January to jointly administer the Kurdistan
regional government. RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq (RFI)
reported on 21 January that the two leading Kurdish
parties -- the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK)
and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP)
The agreement states that other ministerial posts
will be allotted to minority parties, but it fails
to give specifics.
While leaders from the two ruling parties have
expressed optimism over the unification agreement,
leaders from minority parties say the agreement
solidifies the PUK and KDP's control over Kurdistan,
RFI reported.
RFI interviewed Kurdish parliamentarians
representing minority parties to ask their views on
unification in Irbil on 24 January.
Kurdistan Communist Party representative Dilman
Amedi told RFI, "The distribution of ministerial
posts has been based on an closed agreement between
the two dominant parties [the PUK and KDP] as well
as between the other political parties and groups
that were members in the Kurdistan Coalition List in
the election in Kurdistan." |
Adnan Mufti
Photo: RFE/RL |
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Kurdistan Islamic Group leadership member Huzan
Sa'id said she expected that her party would have
earned some ministerial posts. "We see this period
as a transitional and exceptional one. It should be
natural and necessary that the distribution of
ministerial posts follow the election results, and
we hope this will become reality in the next
election term," she said. "We see this as a
transitional period and hope the period to come will
be a natural one, God willing."
Kurdistan Islamic Union leadership member Muhammad
Rashid Mawati also criticized the agreement. "Look
at the distribution of ministerial posts -- as if
they were divided only between the two [dominant
Kurdish] parties. It is nothing more that the 50-50
sharing in the previous [unified Kurdish government
that existed until 1994]. It is even less [worthy]
now," he said. "Some ministries have been allotted
to some other parties, and I think those did not
know about that before. It is just an agreement
between the two [dominant Kurdish] parties on
dividing power in Kurdistan."
Kurdistan National Assembly speaker Adnan Mufti and
Iraqi Minister of Planning and Reconstruction Barham
Salih (both PUK members) had a more inward-looking
stance on unification. They spoke about the
agreement with RFI in Irbil on 21 January, and what
it means for the future of Kurdistan. The interview
was broadcast on 22 January.
Adnan Mufti: The most important thing is that
this law [on government unification] provides for
launching new ministries. There may be other,
partial issues, based on the unification [agreement]
text and based on what the legislative committee [of
the Kurdistan parliament] proposes. We will be
discussing these issues. Laws on the [Kurdistan]
Region presidency and council of ministers will be
amended. After that, we will call an extraordinary
meeting [of the parliament] to appoint the prime
minister and the deputy prime minister of the
unified government. Thereafter, we will ask the
president of the region to entrust them both with
setting up the cabinet. They will have to announce
and present the [cabinet] to the parliament within a
definite period.
RFI: To what
extent is naming the deputy prime minister related
to the government change and forming a unified
cabinet?
Mufti: The deputy prime minister is a
different issue, not related to forming the cabinet.
I mean, the legal amendment has no effect on forming
the cabinet. Even if there was a delay in amending
the law on the region's presidency and introducing
the post of deputy prime minister, it will still be
possible to amend the law on the council of
ministers. When we appoint the new prime minister
and his deputy, we will already know the number of
ministries that the new cabinet will consist of.
RFI: In your
opinion, how long will it be until the new cabinet
is announced?
Mufti: Between the appointment [of the new
prime minister] and the announcement [of the new
cabinet], there can be maximum one month.
Barham Salih: There are problems we have been facing
in Kurdistan's society, and the problems are
well-known. We should not ignore the most recent
history of the situation in Kurdistan. We went
through a period of internal war [1994-1995] and a
[subsequent] division of the Kurdish administration,
in addition to other problems and tragedies to which
the people of Kurdistan have been exposed. In order
to overcome these conflicts and focus on a real
national unity, I wish [to address] one clear
message to the other parts of Iraq: in the present
conditions, we need to gather and unite on a
nationwide democratic project that will preserve our
basic demands for this period. These basic demands
consist in building a federal democratic Iraq that
will be friendly to its own people and to its
neighbors.
RFI: How will
[the Kurdistan government unification] help solve
the [central government] crisis in Baghdad?
Salih: Well, God willing, this will strengthen the
position of the Kurdistan Coalition List and its
positive and constructive role in encouraging
national dialogue and a peaceful partnership between
the Iraqi communities.
(Translated by Petr Kubalek)
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