Analyst warns from deterioration of conditions in Iraq's Kurdistan Region  19.2.2011  

where several victims have fallen, had been result for the confusion, witnessed between the authorities and the opposition during the past few months and refusal to sit on one table to settle the current problems," Rasoul said.

Thousands of demonstrates have gone to the streets in Sulaimaniyah city on Thursday, demanding the improvement of the service and living standards, fighting corruption and carrying out political reforms, where at least two people were killed and over 50 persons have been injured, according to official figures, following shooting that took place in front of the headquarters of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in the city, where the demonstrators gathered.

The Kurdistan Democratic Party, led by Kurdistan President, Massoud Barzani and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), led by Iraqi President, Jalal Talabani, are the main two parties ruling north Iraq's Kurdistan Region, comprising its capital of Erbil and the Kurdish provinces of Sulaimaniyah and Duhok.

"The situation looks to be more serious, due to the absence of stability and masses anger," Rasoul said, adding that the demonstration that took place in Sulaimaniyah on Thursday had changed its corse towards the KDP's headquarters, where some youth attacked it, thing that caused its guards to open fire on the demonstraters."

Rasoul denied that "the said incidents hide certain agendas behind them," adding: "it is wrong to accuse the young men with having been behind such agenda, because they demand an end for corruption in state institutions and parties, along with requesting the improvement of the conditions in Kurdistan Region."

He called on the Region's government to "deal cautiously with its citizens, especially in Sulaimaniyah, because the area differs from other areas, necessitating the use of wisdom and not bullets."

Sulaimaniyah city witnessing tension, with the spread of security bodies, police forces and Peshmergas (Kurdish forces), trying to impose security and prevent the renewal of tension, at a time where dozens of young people have demonstrated on Friday evening in al-Sarai Square at the center of the city, whilst security forces used water to evacuate the square from them, whilst shop owners in the city have closed their shops, fearing from further deterioration of the security situation.

On his part, the Writer and Media man, Kifah Mahmoud, said: "the right of demonstration is supported by the law, and we have a democratic system, whilst the demonstrations that took place (in Sulaimaniyah) have been an expression of opinion, before it developed into tension."

"But when the demonstration was changed into violence and mobs, by certain groups that sneaked into it, it couldn't be described as a 'demonstration," he said, adding that "certain groups, belonging to Iraq's former ruling (Baath) regime are exploiting the youth an pushing them to carry out corrupt acts, lean to violence to achieve their interests,www.ekurd.netwhilst the youth in Kurdistan Region are being exploited in the same way, where the security conditions have been stable, thing that did not satisfy them and pushed them to undermine the situation all over Iraq."

The demonstrations and violence acts have created fear among the Region's residents, expecting their extension to other areas, at a time when three headquarters of the (opposition) Gorran (Change) Movement in Erbil, Duhok and Soran citizens have been attacked, burnt and plundered, though they did not cause any casualties.

Meanwhile, the KDP's Media Director in Sulaimaniyah, Ary Hersin, told Aswat al-Iraq that "Peshmerge forces have arrived to the city on Friday, to protect the security conditions, along with the government institutions and public properties, in the background of clashes that took place between the demonstraters and the KDP guards, that killed one person and injured dozens of others.

The KDP's Deputy Chairman, Nechirvan Barzani, on his part said that "the politbureaus of both Kurdish Parties (KDP and PUK) have discussed during their recent meeting "the unification of their attitude towards the recent incidents that took place in Sulaimaniyah city, and to strive to minize the geographic area of the tension.

He said that "his Party believes in the right of citizens to demonstrate and to demand reforms, within the law," adding that the KDP "had uncovered intelligence information about attacks on its headquarters, informing the security bodies in Sulaimaniyah about that, but they ignored taking such information into consideration."

Noteworthy is that Kurdistan Region's President, Massoud Barzani, had called on "the Region's government to form a committee to investigate the said events and send those behind them to justice, and calling on all citizens and security bodies to carry out their duty in protecting the headquarters of the Region's parties and institutions.

Barzani also pointed out that "the enemies of Kurdistan people are continuing their activities to create anarchy and problems in the Region, adding that "Kurdistan people shall confront such plans, in order to protect the experience and achievements of the Region." 

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