Kurdishaspect.com - By Mufid Abdulla
The response from the KDP is quite brutal towards the general values of free press as well as specifically the focus on the local press in the south of Kurdistan. The amount of libel cases from the KDP and their leadership against the range of newspapers comprises Hawlati, Awena, Roshnam, Rojgar etc and none of these are a surprise to me. It is absurd to suggest that by increasing the libel cases that will reduce the closedown of free press and critical thought. This media revolution in the south of Kurdistan will continue to open up the truth through free speech; these local newspapers are the voice of the people. The mass of people are very reluctant to read the newspapers and other media sources of the two ruling parties for news because they are not giving detailed accurate accounts of all events in the south of Kurdistan. Instead of enforcing libel damages of million dollar lawsuits against these papers, the KDP needs to divorce their attempts to silence the free speech, and trumpet a positive programme. But tempers are rising.
As events transpire, good fortune does not just attach itself to the KDP and its party but to their subordinated media as well. If it had not been for the crises in the PUK areas, the KDP would have found it significantly harder to cope with the present situation in the south of Kurdistan.
The situation we have today in the south of Kurdistan amounts to a conflict of two generations, generation X and generation Y. The background of the first generation is one of armed struggles in which they have been born with a political power gun. This older generation see the armed struggle as paramount to their staying in power. This group of people have an average age of 55-65 in today’s society and were basically born with power. Generation Y came after the former and are hardworking, educated, rising, skilled professionals who can get into the political system because of their talents rather than through violence. This latter generation grew up in a world that was economically stable with a huge amount of success and nationalisation; the equal group of truth is that support for the older generation is prompted by such factors as money and lifestyle.
Surely then when considering the rising future generation of the south of Kurdistan it is time to be prepared to change the system to fit in with this, in order for our society to maintain stability and to progress in such ways as other modern societies in the globalised world?
mufid@btconnect.com
