|
PUK deputy leader: We will punish party
members if they speak out against PUK leadership
23.9.2007
Translated by Dr Kamal Mirawdeli from Awene weekly |
|
|
|
September
23, 2007
Sulaimaniyah, Kurdistan region 'Iraq'
Interview with deputy
leader of Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Kosrat
Rasul
The deputy president of Kurdistan region MR Kosrat
Rsaul has talked to Awena about the recent strategic
agreement between their party (PUK) and Kurdistan
Democratic Party (KDP), the recent decisions made by
the PUK political bureau, the PUK organizations and
the issue of trial of those Kurdish mercenaries and
heads of jash [Pro-Saddam Kurdish] forces who have
participated in Anfal operations.
[Awena] There is an old party principle that says
ideology and politics must be clear and organization
must be hidden. But you do not even follow this old
principle. You have signed a strategic agreement
[with KDP] for two months now but still no one knows
what it is about and what it contains? |
Kosrat Rasul, deputy leader of Patriotic Union of
Kurdistan (PUK) in Kurdistan region (Iraq) |
[Kosrat Rasul] The agreement is an agreement between
two parties KDP and PUK. WE cannot reveal some
points because they relate to the current political
situation in Kurdistan, the future of Kurdistan, and
our environment. We have talked about the general
line of this agreement with our own cadres and in
information media but we have not published the text
of the agreement because the interests of our people
and of the two parties, requires this.
[Awena] There is a rumour that a basic area of your
strategic agreement is to limit the freedom of
expression and the liberties that exist in Kurdistan
and restrict the free media. To what extent is this
true?
{Kosrat Rasul] In this country we have a law in
relation to the media. Those websites that bring
people and the parties into disrepute and are
supporters of the two parties, we will close them
down. Those people who write in these sites if their
names become known to us we will make a complaint
against them in Kurdistan and take legal action
against them.
[Awena] Do you think that this strategic agreement
will serve the development of democracy and freedom
in Kurdistan, or will it have an adverse effect?
{Kosrat Rasul] Yes it will serve democracy and
freedom because this agreement does not come at the
expense of any one and second it is not against
people. On the contrary I believe the situation of
Kurdistan government would become better in legal
terms. Changing positions from KDP to PUK and vice
versa will stop and anyone who does something wrong
we can try them in court.
[Awena] According to a previous agreement between
you and KDP, from the beginning of the next year the
heads of government and parliament must alternate.
There is a rumour that PUK will accept [the current
Prime Minister] Nechirvan Barzani to remain in his
post and Omar Fatah [from PUK] will remain as his
deputy?
{Kosrat Rasul] WE have an agreement to alternate the
posts of head of government and parliament. This
agreement will not change. But so far as PUK we have
not had a meeting to identify a candidate. When the
time comes we will meet and identify our candidate.
[Awena] Don’t you feel you are getting late? Any
candidate needs some time to prepare his government
programme and present it?
{Kosrat Rasul] There is still time. This change will
happen in December.
[Awena] Which candidate has more chance within PUK
to get this post?
{Kosrat Rasul] He will certainly be chosen from the
members of political bureau. Who gets more votes, he
will be chosen for this post.
[Awena] In the past week with the presence of [PUK
Secretary General] Jalal Talabani you held some
meetings and made some decisions. One of your
decisions was that no PUK cadre is allowed to make
statements to media channels. Doesn’t this mean the
narrowing of party democracy? Does not this turn PUK
into an introvert party?
{Kosrat Rasul] I don’t think so. This is a party
discipline not to allow our cadres to speak outside
their party framework. Some of these cadres go too
far, Sometimes they bring PUK party itself and its
leadership to disrepute. That is why we tell them:
if you are party members you have your own channels
[of communication and complaint]. There are party
centres, there are party committees, tell your views
to them, if you are committed members of the party.
[Awena] Don’t you feel that they talked so much
within their party cells and committees and no one
listened to them that they know it is a useless
exercise and as they find no solution they are
desperate to speak to other media channels?
[Kosrat Rasul] They are party cadres. When they talk
they attack their comrades. They should not do that,
they should for once start with [criticizing]
themselves.
[Awena] Yesterday a message by PUK’s internal
organisation bureau was conveyed to the
organizations of PUK in which it is stated that any
party member who speaks outside his party channels
would be punished and deprived of all his party
privileges? What do you say about this?
{Kosrat Rasul] I am not aware of anything like this.
[Awena] In the recent meeting of the political
bureau you have taken a number of actions against
your own cadres. There is a rumour that the people
who have been subjected to these actions all belong
to your own wing and the reformist wing of the
party, and now the arena has been cleared for the
[dominance of] the wing of the general secretary
[Jalal Talabani]. What do you say about this?
{Kosrat Rasul] There are no wings within PUK. They
are all one wing. In the past before the first
conference of the party, PUK had three wings: Komala,
Shorishgiran and the general line. From the first
conference it has become one wing. Perhaps
there are some personal relationships, but not
wings.
[Awena] But in the [last year’s] PUK elections it
was clear that you had your own candidates. And both
Jalal Talabani and [his deputy then] Nawshirwan
Mustafa had their won candidates?
{Kosrat Rasul] This was personal matter not wings.
[Awena] When will you convene your party conference?
You don’t seem to be able to have your conference by
the beginning of the New Year?
{Kosrat Rasul] We want to have a big conference and
invite many guests around the world. The beginning
of the New Year is a holiday time and many people
would not be able to attend. But we will hold our
conference early next year.
[Awena] There is a hot issue in Kurdistan which is
the trial of those who participated in anfal
genocide operations from head of jash (mercenary)
forces and other men of the Bath regime. As a
veteran peshmarga what do you think about this?
{Kosrat Rasul] I believe that anyone who has
perpetrated a crime against the people of Kurdistan
and Iraq should be dealt with according to law.
[Awena] Eve though some of these heads of mercenary
forces are now sheltered by KDP and PUK?
{Kosrat Rasul] Wherever they may be, if they were
summoned by law, they should be handed over.
[Awena] Is this your own view or the view of PUK as
well?
{Kosrat Rasul] In 1991 we declared an amnesty to the
people connected with the previous regime. Now I
believe we should hand this issue over to Kurdistan
parliament because parliament can take legitimate
decisions. PUK or KDP or government do not have such
power. It is within the power of parliament to
decide whether to arrest them or forgive them.
[Awena] If you were a member of parliament what
would you decide?
{Kosrat Rasul] There are differences of the degree
of criminal responsibility of heads of jash forces.
Some are very guilty. Some were trying to protect
their areas and tribe and then they cooperated with
peshmarga forces. We must make this difference.
- Translated by Dr Kamal Mirawdeli, Translated from
Awene, Sulaimaniyah, independent weekly newspaper,
18 Sep 07, p 3
kurdistanreferendum org
Top |
Kurd Net
does not take credit for and is not responsible for the content of news
information on this page
|
® 