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Kurds want Kirkuk to be part of Kurdistan
11.3.2010
By Soran Bahaddin |
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March
11, 2010
KIRKUK, Iraq's border with Kurdistan region,
— Most of the Kurdish voters from Kirkuk headed to
the ballots wearing Kurdish clothes with the wish of
returning Kirkuk back to the Kurdistan region.
The Iraqi elections in Kirkuk were much different
from elections in other Iraqi cities, because of the
number of ethnicities living in the city. Kurds,
Arabs, Turkmen and Chaldeo-Assyrians could be seen
in the same room of voting with their cultural
dresses.
The national feeling of the people from Kirkuk could
be felt more than in other days. Mariwan Zirar, 21
years old, who is originally from Kirkuk but based
in Daratoo, nearby Erbil. He returned back to Kirkuk
for voting one day before the election. “I came to
vote for Kurdish success. We hope Kirkuk return back
to Kurdistan,” said Mariwan. He thanked Kurdistan
Region Government KRG (KRG) for providing them with
buses and fuel to return back to their city Kirkuk
for voting.
756,000 voters had the right of voting in Kirkuk. 12
seats are allocated for Kirkuk in Iraqi parliament.
Kurds are likely to win majority seats of Kirkuk in
Iraqi parliament. In the cities of Kurdistan region
there were young people voting than old people.
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Kirkuk city is historically a Kurdish city and it
lies just south border of the Kurdistan autonomous
region, Kurds have a strong cultural and emotional
attachment to Kirkuk, which they call "the Kurdish
Jerusalem." Kurds see it as the rightful and
perfect capital of an autonomous Kurdistan state.
The former regime of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein
had forced over 250,000 Kurdish residents to give up
their homes to Arabs in the 1970s, to "Arabize" the
city and the region's oil industry. |
Na’aman Izaddin, 57
years old, talked about oppression of Kurds by the
Baath regime before talking about voting. “If we
don’t try today, they will occupy and Arabize
Kirkuk,” said Na’aman Izaddin.
“I couldn’t bring my wife and daughters here on bus
to vote because I did not have my own car,” said
Izaddin raising his colored finger with the ink of
election.
Those people who are originally from Kirkuk but
living in other cities of Kurdistan region were
complaining of Iraqi Higher Electoral Commission (IHEC)
for not having polling centers in the cities of the
Kurdistan region,www.ekurd.netas
they have done for refugees of Baghdad and some
other Iraqi cities. Because of this they had to
return back to Kirkuk for voting.
“I came to vote for Kurdish strength,” said Saman
Sherzad (26). He believes that Kurds from Kirkuk are
again oppressed. “Why there is voting center for
refugees of Basra in Soran, but there is no voting
center for Kirkuk refugees in Erbil and Sulemany?
Kurds has lost many votes in this way,” said Saman.
Kurdish women of Kirkuk with their Kurdish dress are
more attractive than anything. Women were heading to
vote as if they go to Newroz ceremony or wedding
party. Nahida Khalid, 45 years old, wearing a black
set of Kurdish dress, was going to vote with her
husband and daughter. “I am going to vote for my
nationality sake other wise I don’t like politic or
election. I came with a car of other people” she
said.
Copyright, respective author or news agency,
rudaw net
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