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An interview with "Change List" leader
Nawshirwan Mustafa
11.6.2009
Translated By Simko Azad
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June
11, 2009
SULAIMANIYAH, Kurdistan region 'Iraq', —
Interviewer: Ahmed Zaweti, Al-Jazeera TV. Nawshirwan Mustafa, a former deputy leader and co-founder of Iraqi
President Jalal Talabani's party, the Patriotic
Union of Kurdistan (PUK) plans to head a political
group of independents called "Change" in the
region's upcoming parliamentary elections.
Q: You as a
group in the PUK leadership have announced a
programme of "Change" in Iraqi Kurdistan, what is
this programme?
NAWSHIRWAN:
Currently we are a group working outside of the PUK,
not within it. The programme of the "Change List" in
summary is the separation of government from the
political parties. We will try to create a
parliament which is not controlled by the political
buro’s of the political parties, we will strengthen
an independent, non-corrupt and just judiciary, we
will set borders for the interference of political
parties in the economy and in the universities and
we will support a more transparent budget for the
Kurdistan regional government, we also want greater
social justice. |
Nawshirwan Mustafa, prominent former PUK leader and
co-founder of the PUK party. |
Q: Why did you not
have these demands before? Why now?
NAWSHIRWAN: The
Kurdistan experiment [in self governance] is now 18
years old. In the first elections, in 1992, our
chief aim was to fill the vacuum created by the
withdrawal of the central government. In those
elections we had to recreate governmental
institutions and fill the constitutional, political
and security void in Kurdistan.
The 2005 elections were at a different stage, at
that time the Kurdistan region was stable from a
political, security and even economic point of view.
At that time the chief aim was rewriting the Iraqi
constitution, that is why it was important to have a
united Kurdish line to ensure Kurdish participation
in Iraqi governing bodies. We were successful in
that stage.
Now the chief aim has to be internal reform;
political reform, social reform, cultural reform and
economic reform.
Q: Some
political observers say that your stance will lead
to a division in the Kurdish position in Baghdad in
the future.
NAWSHIRWAN: We
do not believe that Kurdish unity is having a single
Kurdish list we believe hat Kurdish unity is having
one Kurdish line. It is possible for us to have a
common line with all the political parties in
Kurdistan and yet at the same time, compete for
chairs in the parliament of Kurdistan.
Q: In relation
to your participation in the Parliamentary elections
with an independent list, what are your
preparations, what is your election programme.
NAWSHIRWAN: Like
I discussed initially, our programme is made up of a
few key points. The main one is the separation of
the government from the political parties.
A parliament free of political party control. An
effective executive and an independent judiciary
with no party political influence in the
universities, a market free of political party
control. These are our aims.
Q: You have been
discussing these issues for a number of months, what
effect has it had on the Kurdish streets? Is this a
new message?
NAWSHIRWAN: It
has had an extremely good effect. People are very
receptive, because we have passed the stage of
danger in Kurdistan, the political, security and
economic situation is now stable, there are good
relations between the KRG and the central government
based on the constitution,www.ekurd.net
dialogue and mutual
understanding. That is why the time has come for us
to give more importance to providing services to the
Kurdish citizens, for example; providing
electricity, drinking water and building schools,
hospitals and reducing the difference between the
highest salary available to government employees and
the smallest salary.
Q: How have you
prepared for the post election situation? If you are
asked will you participate in the government or
remain as a opposition bloc.
NAWSHIRWAN: Its
to soon to answer that question, let us wait for the
election results.
Q: Regarding
alliances before and after the elections, apart from
the PUK and KDP have any sides asked you for an
alliance to participate in your programme?
NAWSHIRWAN: No
one has asked for an alliance, however at the same
time we are trying to co-ordinate with all the other
lists, co-ordination on election observers,
broadcasting and politics, co-ordination not an
alliance. An Alliance or co-ordination after the
elections is dependent on the election results.
Q: You as the
Movement for change or the Reformist trend in
Kurdish politics, how do you see relations between
Baghdad and Kurdistan, will they be via the KRG or
will you have your own relations, do you currently
have relations with Baghdad or the Iraqi political
parties?
NAWSHIRWAN: We
are not a political party to have bilateral or
trilateral relationships, the KRG parliament is the
key to the solution of all political difficulties.
We will attempt to create a constitutional
department to hold all Kurdish representatives in
Baghdad to account. Currently there is no mechanism
to hold Kurdish officials in Baghdad accountable. We
[the Kurds] are not in opposition we are partners in
the government of Iraq. We are partners in the
decision making process, in the ministries and in
parliament. That is why dialogue is the key to
solving all the outstanding issues with Baghdad.
Q: Do you, or
your list have relations with America , as the
worlds superpower. Do you have any relations or have
the Americans contacted you to create relations?
NAWSHIRWAN:
Political and diplomatic relations are the
responsibility of the federal Iraqi government as is
foreign policy. Maintaining relations with America
is one of the chief duties of the Iraqi government.
On the other hand the Kurdish movement has had
relations with the American administration for more
than 20 years particularly after the creations of
the safe havens [After the first gulf war] since
that time till the modern day there have been
relations between the Kurdish leadership and the
Americans. The Americans have an interest in the
region, they have an interest in creating
relationships with the people of the region. They
have an interest in seeing stability in the region,
an interest in preventing terrorism in the region.
The relations are at that level and I don’t believe
that there are any relations outside of the central
Iraqi government.
Q: Iran now has
a important role in Iraq. It has open relations with
the KRG, both ruling Kurdish parties and other Iraqi
forces in the southern and central regions. As
Sulaimaniyah is a region bordering Iran, has Iran
not attempted to make contact with you, do you have
any relations with Iran?
NAWSHIRWAN: Iran
is an important country and is a great power in the
region. Iraq has more than 1000km of common border
with Iran, not only a common border but religious,
national, cultural and economic ties exist between
the two countries. That is why it is important to
have strong relations between Iraq and Iran and the
KRG.
Kurdistan-Iraq has more than 600km of border with
Iran, that is why it is essential that we have good
relations with Iran, and to have relations based on
mutual interest’s . Relations between Iran and the
central government and with the KRG are good, There
are Iranian consulates in both Hawler and
Sulaimaniyah as well as economic centres and Iranian
companies operating in Kurdistan.
Q: But as a
political entity, do you have relations with Iran.
NAWSHIRWAN: No
Q: As an
influential Kurdish politician, how do you see
Kurdish relations with Turkey on one hand and with
Iran on another.
NAWSHIRWAN: That
is a very problematic issue. As the Kurdish people
are divided over a number of countries, such as
Iraq, Iran and Turkey. There are national
relationships across the borders between the Kurds.
At the same time there are problems between the KRG
and the neighbouring states especially Turkey over
the concentration of armed forces on the borders.
Also the difficulty of the border terrain means that
the KRG cannot control all the border regions. The
Kurdish problem in Turkey,www.ekurd.net
is Turkey’s problem not
Iraq’s. The Kurdish problem in Turkey cannot be
solved through the use of armed force on behalf of
the Iraqi Kurds. The problem can only be solved
politically and it can only be solved within Turkey
not through Iraq.
Q: You have
discussed the Kurdish problem in turkey and Iran,,
The Kurdish issue in Iraq has been solved via
federalism, there are other solutions to the Kurdish
issue, will federalism solve the Kurdish problem? Or
do you have a different project for solving the
Kurdish issue in Iraq.
NAWSHIRWAN: At
this stage, federalism is a very good solution, the
Kurds remaining in Iraq is a strength and not a
weakness. That is why I support federalism and when
the federal Constitution was being written in
Baghdad I participated in writing it.
Q: Kurdish
politicians continuously discuss remaining within
Iraq. Some Arab politicians believe that this will
change in the future and that this is just a
tactical stand.
NAWSHIRWAN: I
believe that we will remain in Iraq for the near
future, but I cannot foretell the future. 20 years
ago Europe was a different shape from what it is now
and in 20 years it will be different again, the
middle east is the same, I cannot tell what will
happen in the next 20 years.
Q: On the
Kurdish street there is a worry that your relations
with the PUK will go to a "cold war" and that past
secrets will be revealed.
NAWSHIRWAN: I
support closing the pages of the past, as you know
there was a civil war in Kurdistan, after this all
sides came to peace. I am with keeping the peace and
not turning over the pages of the past. We do not
want to go into the twists and turns of history
which will not help serve the future. However if we
return to the past, we have no fear of discussion.
On the other hand I hope that the situation will not
weaken Kurdistan politically or non-politically. On
our part, we have no armed forces, the security
situation and protecting the elections is the sole
responsibility of the KRG and they can use the law
to prevent any detrimental effects occurring.
Q: Are you
worried that the current situation will go from a
media debate to armed confrontation between you and
the Kurdish political parties.
NAWSHIRWAN: We
are a political movement we have no armed forces.
Our defence is the courts and the law. If we are
prevented from using the courts in Sulaimaniyah, we
will go to the Federal courts or the international
courts. We will not resort to violence.
Q: The local
Kurdish media is highlighting pressures on your
cadres and supporters, have you not taken a stand
against these pressures through the courts?
NAWSHIRWAN: We
see these actions as against human rights and the
rights of the citizens, a government’s role should
be to find jobs and salaries for citizens [not to
cut them], we will defend our citizens through the
courts.
Q: Our last
question, what are your relations with Jalal
Talabani like? You were the first and second people
in the PUK.
NAWSHIRWAN: On a
personal basis our relations are normal.
Q: Mr NAWSHIRWAN
MUSTAFA, leader of the Change list, Thank you for
this opportunity.
Originally Broadcast 20:00, 7.8.2009 on Aljazeera
International Television. Translated By Simko Azad.
Copyright, respective author or news agency,
aljazeera net
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