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Nawshirwan Mustafa made a big mistake by
creating a separate list for Kurdistan parliamentary
election
1.6.2009
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June
1, 2009
SULAIMANIYAH, Kurdistan region 'Iraq', —
Sheikh Ja’far Sheikhh Mustafa, a member
of the leadership council of the Patriotic Union of
Kurdistan (PUK) party interviewed by Rudaw.
Q: After Nawshirwan Mustafa formed a list, how do you see the state of the
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK)?
Sheikh Ja’far:
Nawshirwan Mustafa made a big mistake by creating a
separate list. And I expect that in the upcoming
elections his list will not gain the same number of
seats that they (his group) currently hold in the
parliament and the provincial councils. It was
better for them to stay within PUK, especially
because Nawshirwan Mustafa was always the one
responsible of forming the lists for the
parliament…I support the existence of opposition and
competition because in this way we can serve the
nation better, uproot the corruption, fix the
shortcomings, and initiate reform. |
Sheikh Ja’far Sheikhh Mustafa, a member of the
leadership council of the Patriotic Union of
Kurdistan. |
Q: If you believe
in opposition why don't you accept Nawshirwan
Mustafa's list (Change List)?
Sheikh Ja’far:
Because this list is separated from the body of PUK.
Certainly we are not happy with the time was not
appropriate to take such a step. I think this event
serves the opponents of Kurdistan. If Nawshirwan
Mustafa had (implemented) the reform and
house-cleaning program that he talks about, within
PUK, mot than 70 percent of the party would have
(supported) him.
Q: And now how
many PUK supporters are with him?
Sheikh Ja’far:
In the elections it will become clear that he is not
popular that much. His list will also face a great
failure. What they say about their expectations for
a great success in the elections is (exaggerated).
Q: Sometimes you
hold Nawshirwan Mustafa for the corruption issues.
Where does that come from?
Sheikh Ja’far:
Corruption is a word that many people use without
defining it. If our government and administration
are corrupt then all the people who work in them
share the blame. Sometimes Nawshirwan Mustafa has
acted on the behalf of Jalal Talabani,www.ekurd.net
the Secretary General of
PUK. During the formation of the Kurdish government
and the parliament, (the party) offered a number of
top positions to Nawshirwan Mustafa but he rejected
all of them. If he had accepted to work in the
government he could have carried out the (reform)
program that he is talking about today. Although we
all like and respect him, but Nawshirwan Mustafa is
responsible for all the ups and downs of PUK and the
advantages and disadvantages of the government
because he was a decision maker.
Q: Some people
say when Mustafa lost hope at reform in PUK he
decided to form a separate list.
Sheikh Ja’far: I
believe that if Mustafa could not bring about any
reform within PUK, despite the great authority and
public and party support he enjoyed, he will not be
able to do so with a few fellows. If his list could
win 3 or 5 seats, for instance, what can he do with
a few people? Even if they get a maximum of 10
(parliamentary) seats, which they will never see,
what could they do? What decisions can they make?
What can they change? The answer is that there will
be majority and minority in the parliament.
Q: Is it true
that any PUK supporter who does not vote to the
Kurdistani List (PUK and KDP's joint list) will be
dismissed from the party?
Sheikh Ja'far:
The people in the organizations of a party should
vote to the list of their own party otherwise they
will immediately be dismissed from the party.
Q: Will you
dismiss the government employees if they choose not
to vote to your list?
Sheikh Ja'far:
No, not at all. But he will be dismissed from the
position he holds in the party and also from the
party itself.
Q: Will the
internal issues of PUK be resolved?
Sheikh Ja'far:
For solving them it is likely that we hold a plenum
before the elections. If not, after the elections we
hold a congress through which certainly the
integration and harmony will return to PUK. PUK will
reorganize its organs and will consolidate itself.
Q: Does it mean
that the issue of Change List will also be resolved?
Sheikh Ja'far:
Definitely they will not be regarded as PUK members.
As they made a separate list they announced their
split from the internal regulations of the party. By
the virtue of the same regulations they will be
dismissed from the party. This decision should be
made either in the plenum or in the congress.
However, for now these people have no connections
with PUK organs.
Q: But even till
now PUK peshmargas are with them as guards. So how
they cannot be PUK members?
Sheikh Ja'far:
Not only their guards, even they themselves enjoy
their privileges from Kurdistan Regional Government
(KRG).
Q: Would you
please mention the name of those beneficiaries?
Sheikh Ja'far:
Each one of them, either a police guarding their
offices or an officer working in their media take
their salaries from the government. But definitely
the number of their guards will be reduced in the
future. They are not dispossessed from their
privileges so far. Some of them,www.ekurd.net
despite enjoying their
salaries, have 15 guards. Those who have retired
need a driver and a guard but those top officials
who work in party or in the government may need 50
guards.
Q: But according
to our knowledge the officials of Wisha Company
(Nawshirwan Mustafa's media Corporation) do not have
this number of guards.
Sheikh Ja'far:
Few of them have listed less than 15 or 20
peshmargas under their charge, except those who do
not have any positions.
Q: According to
your expectation how many seats the Kurdistani List
will win?
Sheikh Ja'far:
None of the other lists can compete with the
Kurdistani List. Even if all the lists unite,
Kurdistani List will win more than 70 per cent of
the seats.
Q: What about
your expectations for Change List?
Sheikh Ja'far: I
doubt that they can win even 5 seats because for
granting this number of seats at least they should
win 100 thousand votes and this number of
unsatisfied people does not exist in Kurdistan.
Q: What about
the list of the coalition of the four parties?
Sheikh Ja'far: I
think they can win more seats than the Change List.
But, they will win fewer seats compared to the
previous election.
Copyright, respective author or news agency,
Rudaw net
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