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Iraqi Kurds protest Kurdistan government
corruption
17.5.2011 |
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May
17, 2011
SULAIMANIYAH,
Kurdistan region 'Iraq', — People have
been gathering in Sulaimaniyah's main square for
nearly three months now, protesting what they allege
is government corruption, nepotism, incompetence and
anti-democratic measures.
Since then, at least 12 civilians have been killed
across Iraqi Kurdistan, as the military forces of
the ruling parties were deployed in the restive
areas.
The protests and the accompanying violence have
pushed the government and the opposition parties
further away from each other than ever.
Massoud Barzani, the president of Kurdistan region
recently accused the opposition of trying to stage a
coup - an accusation that is vigorously rejected.
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By Matt Frazer, Press
TV, Erbil |
The statement was made at the inauguration ceremony
of the 6th Congress of the minor Iraqi Kurdish
party, the Social Democratic Party of Kurdistan.
Analysts say these kinds of inflammatory remarks are
common in regional politics, and reflect more a lack
of discretion than anything else.
The government has not issued any follow-up
statement, and MPs for the President's party have
refused to be drawn on those specific comments.
Meanwhile, backroom negotiations between the leaders
of the opposition movement and the government are
ongoing.
“With events elsewhere in the Middle East taking
increasingly dramatic turns, the protests in Iraqi
Kurdistan have failed to capture international
attention.
As the demonstrations slowly sputter out, the
government remains in a position of strength, with
regards to accepting or rejection opposition
demands.”
Since February till middle April, thousands of protesters
gathered daily
in Sulaimaniyah and other parts of Kurdistan against
corruption and the lording over Kurdistan region by
two main parties KDP and PUK. Kurdish
protestors demand the ouster of the local Kurdistan
government KRG,www.ekurd.netcalling for improving services and
living conditions and fighting corruption.
After 62 days of protests, the Governorate of of
Sulaimaniyah has banned unlicensed demonstrations in
the city. Heavy Kurdish forces
deployed
in the Sulaimaniyah city to prevent any
demonstrations, and occupied the city center and other parts of
Sulaimaniyah. The Security Committee in Sulaimaniyah
banned on April 18 all sorts of protests.
Most of the demonstrators opposed Massoud Barzani, and the ruling
Kurdistan Democratic Party KDP. Ten people
were
killed and more than 700 others wounded and 220
more have been arrested in clashes between
demonstrators and Kurdish security forces during a
wave or protests that swept Sulaimaniyah. The
Kurdish security forces (Asayish) arrested and
tortured a lot of activists and
journalists.
The protesters demand the Kurdish government and
parliament resign to give way for “early transparent
elections”. They complain about “monopolizing the
economic and political authority,” by the two major
parties of Kurdistan. Many observe allegiance to
either of the two ruling patties a must to get
employed and hence were deprived of the right. Kurdistan suffers from
electric power deficiency but after almost 20 years
of semi autonomy.
For decades, the KDP
of regional president Massoud Barzani and the
PUK of Iraq's President
Jalal Talabani have lorded over the region.
Massoud Barzani and his relatives control a
large number of commercial enterprises in
Kurdistan-Iraq, with a gross value of several
billion US dollars. The family is routinely accused
of corruption and nepotism by Kurdish media as well
as international observers.
Iraq's Kurdish regional government has near
total autonomy and is funded by a share of the
country's oil revenue. The two parties that share
power each command former guerrilla militias that
have been given the status of regional security
forces.
Earlier Massoud Barzani told an Italian newspaper that if
50,000 Kurdistan citizens require him to step down,
he will. Afterwards, the opposition parties led a
signature campaign and reportedly collected even
more votes to oust the president. However, the
fate of those signatures is
still unclear.
Copyright ©, respective
author or news agency, presstv.ir
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