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A Different Delegation in Baghdad
27.10.2012
By Hiwa Osman
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Ekurd.net |
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October 27, 2012
Another delegation is in Baghdad, but this time
there is a difference. It follows a long period of
crisis that nearly toppled Maliki, had him
attempting to threaten the region, and had neighbors
interfering in favor of one side or the other. The
new delegation in Baghdad now knows that relations
between the two cities are key to stability in Iraq
and the Kurdistan Region.
The delegation is led by Dr. Barham Salih, a
seasoned politician and negotiator who has proved in
the past that one of his best skills lies in
operating in Baghdad. His presence in the delegation
will be instrumental in understanding the
ever-changing political map of Baghdad and paving
the way for real, hands-on, nuts and bolts
negotiations to take place about the issues that
keep surfacing between the two cities.
He is also capable of creating the correct framework
for managing relations between Erbil and Baghdad
instead of a fluctuating one that changes at the
whim of politicians and their statements.
So far, indications have been encouraging that
things are heading in the right direction, where the
conflict is depoliticized and negotiations are
conducted professionally. This is necessary to reach
a settlement between the cities and adopt a process
to settle the outstanding issues between them.
The process needs to be binding, politically-backed
and professional. Although Dr. Barham’s visit is a
good ice breaker, it needs to be supported by other
political parties regardless of whether they
attended the meeting of the president or not. Dr.
Barham’s next task will be to try to bring the
opposition into the fold of wanting a settlement
with Baghdad.
For this to happen, the findings of the meeting and
the process of negotiating with Baghdad can be
discussed in parliament. This will give the process
inclusivity and take it out of the context of
personal conflict.
This is particularly important without a high
council for relations with Baghdad. The reasons this
has not been established have not been provided yet.
The current delegation may have to fill this role
until a team is formed that has full knowledge of
the outstanding issues.
But the key to moving things forward is the
political will to have a stable relationship between
the two cities. The way things are now, relations
with Baghdad have been reduced to the question of
whether Maliki should be removed or not,www.ekurd.net
or whether he is behaving as an autocratic ruler of
the country.
Although it is too early to tell, it seems from
initial statements that Dr. Barham’s meetings have
had positive results, and the challenge now is to
capitalize on this positive atmosphere and turn it
into an ongoing stable process away from personal
politics.
Hiwa Osman is IWPR’s country director in Iraq, previously
served as Iraqi president Jalal Talabani’s media
adviser, a regular contributing writer and columnist for
Ekurd.net. Osman's
website is www.hiwaosman.com
Copyright © 2012 Ekurd.net
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