|
Iraqi Kurdistan: Contradictory views on
PUK-Gorran parties' relations
14.6.2012 |
|
|
|
Barham Salih (L), a senior leader of the Patriotic
Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and Nawshirwan Mustafa, the
head of the Change Movement (Gorran).
June 14, 2012
SULAIMANIYAH, Kurdistan region 'Iraq', —
Following a recent meeting between Barham Salih, a
senior leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK)
and Nawshirwan Mustafa, the head of the Change
Movement (Gorran), PUK officials believe their party
is on the course to normalize relations with Gorran.
But a senior Gorran official told Rudaw on condition
of anonymity, that meetings between his party and
the PUK does not mean they are on the path to
normalized relations. “What would normalize
relations is fixing the ruined system, which we are
asking to change.”
Dr. Shaho Saeed, Gorran’s spokesperson says, “Dr.
Salih’s visit to Nawshirwan Mustafa was personal. It
was not an official visit from the PUK to Gorran.”
The first high-level meeting between PUK and Gorran
was in March 2010 when Hero Ibrahim Ahmed, the head
of PUK headquarters in Sulaimaniyah and wife of
Jalal Talabani, visited Nawshirwan Mustafa. Since
then the two parties have met on several occasions.
On PUK’s 37th anniversary, Talabani, the party’s
secretary general, delivered a speech where he
addressed past relations between his party and
Gorran. Observers interpreted Talabani’s speech as
an opening towards Gorran. But, Jamal Muhammad, a
senior Gorran official,www.ekurd.net
says, “our response is that we thank Talabani for
mentioning some of the facts, and nothing more.”
A source from within Gorran says that Salih has been
trying to meet with Nawshirwan Mustafa since last
year’s February 17 demonstrations when Salih was
prime minister but that Mustafa had declined to meet
with him.
According to the same source, Salih and Mustafa have
discussed amending several laws, including the
demonstration law, Kurdistan’s constitution and the
law of the Kurdistan National Security.
“We still have a lot to work on in order to
normalize relations,” says Jamal Muhammad, a Gorran
official with the Committee for Normalizing
Relations.
Aso Mamand, a member of PUK political bureau,
believes the process of normalizing relations
between the PUK and Gorran has reached a
satisfactory level, “Our meetings will continue and
the demands [of Gorran] will be met.”
Muhammad, however, disagrees. “What has been done so
far cannot be called a step towards normalization.
There is still much more to be done in this regard.”
The PUK, Mamand says, has answered Gorran’s demands
for reform, the amendment of several laws and
re-employment of Gorran members fired from their
jobs for their political affiliation, and that the
rest falls with the Kurdistan Regional Government
(KRG). “Some of the demands can be realized by the
government; we are waiting for the government to
take action in that regard.”
Saeed, Gorran’s spokesperson says, “Gorran is
insistent on its proposals. If there is a desire to
normalize relations, the only way to do so is to
carry out reforms.”
By Nawzad Mahmoud
Copyright ©, respective author or news agency,
rudaw.net
Top |
Kurd Net
does not take credit for and is not responsible for the
content of news information on this page
|
®
