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KIPI, a political think-tank center in
Erbil
8.8.2006 |
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Erbil,
Kurdistan-Iraq, August 8, -- The Kurdistan Institute
for Political Issues (KIPI) is an Erbil-based
political think-tank, which was established in June
2005 by a group of young university graduates. The
institute has taken a leading role in raising
awareness of important political issues among both
the government and the public.
The institute has held 16 opinion polls, all of
which have focused on issues of particular popular
interest. The KIPI is the most active organization
of its kind in Iraqi Kurdistan.
“The ground in Kurdistan is suitable for
establishing such an organization as there is a
semi-democratic government in the region that
supports this sort of work by a non-governmental
organization,” says Musa Ahmed, director of the
institute. “We work to analyze current issues in a
scientific way and to act as a bridge between people
and government.”
The institute claims that its polls are a reliable
reflection of popular opinion, boasting that the
result of KIPI’s poll on last year’s elections were
very close to the final results announced by Iraq’s
electoral commission.
However, KIPI has experienced difficulties. At the
start, there was the problem of finding suitable
staff, committed to the institute’s method and
agenda. Misunderstandings between KIPI and the
government have led to Ahmed’s arrest because of a
poll run by the institute.
KIPI has published two books on hot political issues
in Kurdistan and also has a website (www.rojev.org).
The results of the institute’s polls have been
published in Medya and Hawlati newspapers.
The institute has also run training courses and
several seminars for young people and electoral
workers.
KIPI has close relations with several Kurdish and
International NGOs, including the International
Republican Institute, the Iraqi Civil Society
Program and the National Democratic Institute. Some
of KIPI’s projects are funded by these
organizations.
Hemin Mirani, head of KIPI’s media department,
complains that the law of the Kurdistan Region does
not draw distinctions between governmental and
non-governmental institutions. There are currently
two laws for regulating the work of NGOs and
institutions in Kurdistan.
“But these laws deal with NGOs as though they are
inferior to governmental institutions,” says Mirani.
“The parliament of Kurdistan has to review these
laws and the status of civil society organizations
to further recognize their role and importance.”
Many local NGOs are funded by the Interior Ministry.
Mirani believes that this brings these organizations
under government influence in the event of disputes
on certain issues.
“The government has to realize and give space to
NGOs to implement things which it cannot sometimes
do,” Mirani insists. He also criticizes that the
government does not have any clear criteria and
regulations for the funding of organizations. ‘For
example some organizations which are not active
receive $20,000 whilst others are only given $500,”
Mirani explains.
The KIPI has conducted several polls on issues such
as Israeli-Kurdish relations, the work of the
Kurdistan government and terrorism. In one poll, 31%
of participants stated that the priority of
government must be to fight corruption, whilst 22%
said that the government must make sure that all
citizens are equal before law.
The poll clearly reflects people’s concerns over
high levels of corruption and a lack of social
justice. Omer Siddiq, head of KIPI’s research and
statistics department says the purpose behind these
polls is to “convey the voice of citizens to
government, so that the government can be closer to
the people and work for their demands.”
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