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KDP’s Shocking Reaction to Uprising in
City of Sulaimaniyah
20.2.2011
By Mufid Abdulla - ekurd.net |
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February 20, 2011
How Genuine Popular Revolutions Begin
I knew I should see for myself the impact of these
revolutions on the streets of Kurdistan. In the
midst of the uprisings and brewing revolution all
over the Arab world the people in Sulaimaniyah in
the south of Kurdistan have not wasted any time and
commenced their own uprising on the 17th February
2011. The anger and frustration of young people
started weeks ago and their first action was the
organised gathering in Saray Square in the downtown
district of Sulaimaniyah. Yesterday the protesters
headed for the headquarters of the KDP in the main
street of Slam Street.
There is clear footage of the demonstrations being
broadcast which starts with images of the peaceful
demonstrations and changes to images of the throwing
of stones into the headquarters of the KDP. The
leading Party’s reaction of course follows the same
method as the Baathist Party did in the past when
they fired a shower of bullets all over the
protesters under the pretext of self-defence;
according to the latest news so far two people have
been killed and 56 people injured in the current
clashes. Of course a representative from the KDP
committee in Sulaimaniyah, Hiwa Amed, has accused
the Gorran movement, without any evidence, of
stirring the protesters. However, so far
surprisingly police and security forces have not
come to defend the KDP headquarters; a very
interesting development. The KDP reaction is the
same as that of 25th July 2009 in Hawler; when at
this time they burnt the offices of Gorran in Erbil
[Hawler] and Duhok and Soran.
As Chairman Mao said, “revolution is not a dinner
party”. Considering the shocking reaction of the KDP
leadership and grassroots organisations to these
events, I have to ask, what is the difference
between the Somali pirates and the KDP militia
group? Both have one thing in common; an
unconventional army who are working on their
ringleader’s orders. This shocking reaction did not
surprise me and other observers because the KDP has
no language of dialogue and communication with their
own people. Today’s events are another nail in the
coffin of those who claim that the KDP is a modern
party. Given the complexity of the Barzani tribe it
is clear that the KDP love blood and revenge.
But it is much too early to expect the KDP to
understand that this is a social and economic
revolution. A political and social revolution is not
a single act, but a process. It shouldn’t have been
hard to work out. This is not going to finish by
burning the Gorran headquarters anywhere in this
world, this is a course of history, which we cannot
reverse. But the social and political upheaval shows
every sign of spreading. The evidence of the
uprising reflects a profound social process that is
unlikely to be derailed before it has delivered much
more radical change.
The sources of the uprising are as follows: poor
basic services; high unemployment; inflation;
corruption by politicians added to the fact that
this is a country whose President is Barzani, acting
Prime Minister is Barzani’s son-in-law and local
authority homeland is Barzani’s. He has been with us
for the last 50 years. If anybody visits the suburbs
of Sulaimaniyah and Hawler they will find out
first-hand that the poverty in that country is
related to the exploitation of oil and all other
natural resources.
Finally, the KDP leaders must be well aware that
they have more to gain from compromise than a
general civil war. Unfortunately, the KDP leaders in
the south of Kurdistan usually have very little love
for compromise,www.ekurd.netand
would sooner risk everything for personal victory;
that was our experience in the past. The Gorran
Party are a civil and democratic movement who have
taken their parliamentary roots to change the course
of politics in Kurdistan. All rival leaders need
dialogue and understanding and this nation cannot
afford any more bloodshed at the expense of this
poor nation. The KDP’s ruthlessness and cruelty have
swept them away from the government unless they set
up a committee of inquiry into the killing of these
people and those injured in yesterday’s
demonstration.
You may reach the author at
mufid@btconnect.com
Copyright © 2011 ekurd.net
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