Party Insiders Warn of Divisions Inside PUK

Source Rudaw in English

Gorran
After the dramatic split of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), which led to the formation of the Change Movement (Gorran), many people thought the PUK would adjust its lines and become more unified to prevent further splits in the party.
However, senior officials in the party are warning about an ongoing "struggle and polarization within."

Mala Bakhtiyar, chairman of the executive committee of the PUK political bureau, admits, "Unfortunately, there is a struggle within the PUK,” he said.
PUK spokesperson Azad Jundiyan agrees that there are signs that polarization exists within his party. “This is a contest within the PUK over winning the trust of Jalal Talabani. Talabani has intervened twice now between the struggling groups. Only he can deal with this problem."


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What Has the PUK Lost?

Source: Rudaw in English

"And then KDP President Massoud Barzani fought Iran, Turkey, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia to ensure PUK leader Jalal Talabani was once again elected as Iraqi president. Some say Barzani did this to keep Talabani in Baghdad. But, if Talabani had not become president, he would have returned to Sulaimani to fight the energized Gorran. So, again, the PUK did not lose anything." - REBWAR KARIM WALI

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Will Newshirwan Mustafa run for President?

Source: Kurdistan Tribune

"Newshirwan Mustafa, General Coordinator of the Change movement (Gorran), the second largest party in Kurdistan and Masoud Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and current Kurdistan Region President are in the driving seats of two racing vehicles sponsored by Iran and Turkey, while America holds the racing flag – as the ‘in bikini bonus’ – waiting to reward the winner. In these vehicles are the Kurds, unaware where they are being driven to." Harem Karem

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Independent report on Gorran’s internal elections

Source : The Kurdistan Tribune

Apologies to the Kurdistan Tribune but for once I have taken the whole article, which I think is a press release anyway. As someone involved in introducing the KDP leadership to the British Electoral Reform Society, who organised the overseeing of the first ever election in Southern Kurdistan, the role of clear transparent elections is an issue close to my heart. The work of the Kurdish Institute for Elections is crucial for the future of Southern Kurdistan and the work they do is frankly outstanding.

In June, the Kurdistan Institute for Elections (KIE) observed leadership elections held by the opposition Gorran party. This was the first time that a south Kurdistan political party had agreed to independent monitoring of its internal election processes. A recent KIE report provides a balance sheet of this experience.

There were three phases of the Gorran elections: of the Leadership Council of the circles of the movement, the Cadres Council Leadership and the District Council leaders. KIE monitors observed all of the voting at 41 voting stations in Kirkuk, Sulaimanyah and Erbil.

The report lists 24 positive outcomes of the process and also some negatives, including the delayed opening of some polling stations, 22 repeated names found in the Penjwen District voters list and the lack of a procedure for when two candidates for one position topped the poll with equal votes.

KIE Report Concerning Change Movement Elections in Sulaimanyah, Erbil and Kirkuk Provinces


The Kurdish Institute for Elections (KIE) is an independent non-governmental organization working towards combining the electoral aspect with the other forms of political participation, and raising the Kurdistan people’s awareness of the principles of democracy. The Institute was formed in 2002 by a group of lawyers in Sulaimani and has monitored many elections in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq. For more details: www.kie-ngo.org


This first appeared in the Kurdistan Tribune here

Gorran Claims to be Second Most Popular Party in Kurdistan

Source Rudaw in English

Nawshirwan Mustafa, leader of the Change Movement (Gorran), claims his party is second in the Kurdistan Region, after the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).

In an interview with KNN TV this week, Mustafa said, “If we look at votes, Gorran comes after the KDP, which makes Gorran the second most popular political party. The PUK occupies the third position.”

Arez Abdulla, a member of the political bureau of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), denied Mustafa’s claim, saying, “Of course, you do not expect a rival party to place you in front of itself.”

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Opposition Looks for Alternative Means of Influence

Source: Rudaw in English

"The opposition has a limited capability to inspire the streets. It needs to be able to organize and maintain the voice of protest in a way that does not jeopardize security and peace, because the government always brings in security with the excuse of suppressing protests," Muthana Amin, an outspoken leadership member of the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU),

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For the first time, Gorran is in the driving seat

Source: The Kurdistan Tribune

"Since the opposition movement first emerged three years ago, this is the most striking challenge to Barzani’s rule. The political apparatus in Erbil should realise that political repression and deceit has bred resistance and public awareness to the point that most of the news in Kurdistan has been about the Gorran movement and its boycott of Barzani’s meeting. This new phenomena in Kurdistan has been noted by a lot of observers. It cuts across attempts by the Barzani family to dominate the news for their own benefit, telling the people that they are the architect of all progress in the south of Kurdistan." Mufid Abdulla


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