By Razan Lawan
Parliamentary elections on 25th of July in Iraqi Kurdistan were a historical event for all and everybody, strength for democracy in the KRG region and a success for Goran List Change List as an opposition actor inside parliament. With a setting of 25 seats alone, not including the Reform and Service group and other smaller parties, inside parliament, we finally have an interesting turn on Kurdish politics, vitality which certainly will bring changes, if not on a large scale then at least on minor level where citizens can give opinion, make demands and have their needs satisfied through the governmental bodies. This is something the ruling parties have to listen to, whether they like it or not. People in Iraq and in the Kurdish region are political aware of what the changes should be and how they should occur. Talking to unemployed youngsters in Duhok or with students in Erbil these have similar views with the majority of Suleimanya region’s population which is: they want “change”.
I will not focus on which changes people yearn for or how these should translate in reality as this is better answered by locals living in Iraqi Kurdistan. But what I will touch on here is the question many ask today: will Change List soon become a political party or not? My aim on this text is that the professional leadership of Goran should avoid into becoming a party and instead develop into becoming a social movement. This idea of not expecting Change List transforming into a political party have been stated by Kak Nowshirwan and his grouping many times. However, the question of what type of entity Goran should be in future is not answered lightly in real life. Even if the leaders are determined on the organisational structures on this movement, the leadership of Goran need full committed help by sympathisers and supporters on all societal levels of Kurdish society and in the outside countries’ in discussing how Goran should develop as an actor or entity in the political, economical and social spheres of Iraqi Kurdistan.
I am obviously sure of the saying that nothing is set in stone, in life in general and in politics especially. But what I want to strongly argue for is that the changes Goran as a movement and as a parliamentarian opposition has in their political programs can only be achieved through the popular struggle it has initiated. It will be hard for the leaders of the reform wing of PUK to use party politics to bring changes, by deliberately bargain with the ruling parties regarding issues of transparency into the budget, stop of parties’ interference in daily social life of citizens and the tackling of corruption. This can not be settled with the establishment of yet another party. Wide issues need wide range of ideas and practices for solution and this can not happen at the top-level politics between let say Kak Nowshirwan and figures within PUK. These issues must be addressed as in all democratic states; in public politics, where the inclusion of regular people who all are citizens of Iraqi Kurdistan can participate in.
Political awareness/political consciousness start to spread in our region, a healthy sign of democracy. Interesting enough I see that the Kurdish TV-channel KNN interview shop owners, polices and regular people going for their daily routines of buying bread and meat who now speak of parliament and how it should work, they mention the lack of transparency in politics and economics, they complain on the unemployment for themselves and among recently graduates etc. This progress of peoples’ free thinking about political questions like these would be unthinkable some years ago.
However, at this moment of writing I do not see significant changes into issues described above. Many fellow Kurds also see that there are not even prospects of positive signs. The dismissing of peshmergas, teachers, cadres, security guards and other workers for voting on Change List in the parliamentary elections is serious obstacle to the democratisation process. Despite this intimidation tactic by the ruling elite Change list and their supporters are not scared to participate yet again actively in the upcoming elections of the Iraqi parliament and the governorates, including Kirkuk. The motivation and fearlessness to give alternatives to the Kurds beyond the ruling parties come from the discipline and heroism of the reform wing of PUK, the leaders of Goran, but most significantly it comes from the popular enthusiasm of the people.
What Kurdish politics has gained mostly in terms of the democratisation process after the election on the 25th with the success of Goran, is not only the recognition of the public space for politics, public politics, but also the engagement of the people. Citizens of Iraqi Kurdistan have demands, needs and opinion which they want the government to respond to. Even though this development have and will occur for each day the PUK and KDP, who control KRG, do not know how to behave democratically, as they have not brought consultation with their people. They know that they are forced to answer to public opinion or the consequences will be bad. I see this as a dilemma for the ruling parties. What to do, when 25% of the voters in the first election since 2005 have voted not to them but a newly established social movement headed by Mr. Amin.
- KurdishMedia.com - By Razan Lawan
