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The Kurds Rule Baghdad
12.3.2010
By Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed, the general manager of Al
-Arabiya television |
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March
12, 2010
The Kurds always dreamt of ruling
their region, Kurdistan, and to be free after years
of tyranny at the hands of the Saddam regime that
deprived them of their own [traditional] clothing,
language and culture. It was also their dream in
Arbil and Sulaymaniyah to build a wall like the
Great Wall of China to separate them from other
parts of Arab Iraq.
In the parliamentary framework, the game has
changed; the minority might become a key player and
this is what happened in the 2005 elections. This is
not because of the predominance of Kurdish votes
(that represent no more than 20 per cent of Iraqi
votes) but due to its somewhat united votes unlike
the divided Shia majority, and the Sunnis who
boycotted the elections in protest.
The Kurds never imagined that they would be the key
player in the Iraqi political arena. And yet they
are, for the second time, ready to play the role of
kingmakers in Baghdad if they remain unified in
their loyalty to the two main parties.
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Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed, the
general manager of Al -Arabiya television. Al Rashed
is also the former editor-in-chief of Asharq Al-
Awsat |
But
it seems that the Kurds, just like the Shia, do not
consider their votes a free gift to be given to [a
candidate] of a certain sect or race but rather to
whoever promises them a better electoral program.
Saddam is finished, his regime has been demolished,
and he was executed and does not matter anymore. The
things that matter are employment, standards of
living, a hospital bed, and schools for the
children; this is what a Kurd and a Shia want from
whoever nominates himself to parliament.
The last elections took place at a difficult time
internally and the votes were also expressive of a
historic position. It is thanks to the Kurdish
alliance with the Daawa Party that the balance
tipped in Daawa’s favour and that Nouri al Maliki
became prime minister. Once again, the Kurds today
hold the trump card that can determine the lucky
winner of the premiership whether it will be al
Maliki or someone else. Basically, if the Kurdish
votes are somewhat unified in favour of the two main
parties,www.ekurd.netthey
will decide the fate of the government in Iraq for
the next four years. Therefore, the Iraqi political
equation would be balanced because within it there
are real competitive forces, on the religious level
(Shia and Sunni) and national and ethnic forces.
Therefore, the Shia majority is a not a dilemma as
claimed by some Sunnis and the Arab Iraqis do not
dominate the entire country as Kurds or Turkmen used
to fear. The election process developed into
political partisanship and electoral games based on
a mathematical equation that aims to achieve a
majority i.e. half the parliamentary seats plus one.
Even the Kurds, the rule makers, for the first time
are worried not about Arabs or sectarianism but
about intellectual rebellion amongst the Kurds after
opposition appeared in Kurdistan seeking to break
the monopoly of the two parties for their votes. If
we assume that this is what the election results
will show in a few days then the Iraqis have
actually become Iraqis by practice rather than just
by [raising] patriotic slogans. Each person is
entitled to elect in accordance with what he sees is
in his own interest as a citizen rather than
following a sheep mentality and merely following his
sect or tribe.
Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed is the general manager of
Al -Arabiya television. Mr. Al Rashed is also the
former editor-in-chief of Asharq Al- Awsat, and the
leading Arabic weekly magazine, Al Majalla. He is
also a senior Columnist in the daily newspapers of
Al Madina and Al Bilad. He is a US post-graduate
degree in mass communications. He has been a guest
on many TV current affairs programs. He is currently
based in Dubai.
Copyright, respective author or news agency,
Asharq Alawsat Newspaper |
aawsat.com
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