Kurdistan's Democracy

I have received several emails to show their concern about my earlier post regarding the democracy situation in Kurdistan.
First, some good news. Kurdistan Parliament has decided to hold elections for Kurdistan one week earlier before the Iraqi general elections, and this should mean (hopefully) that the mafia-like control of KDP & PUK should end. Meaning that hopefully a true democratic government in Kurdistan to be elected.

I would like to make some clarifications about my earlier post regarding the Kurdish democracy. The Kurdish political parties are not like the war-lords in Afghanistan. They are somehow modern, and beleive in civil adminstratonis, they believe in modernisations, but their democracy is different from the democracy that ordinary Kurds want, the democracy in Europe. (Or in other words, 21st century mafias).

Many Kurds are impressed by Europe, this is because nearly every Kurd have at least someone (if not 5 to 10 people) in Europe or abroad. These European Kurds visit Kurdistan every year. They bring back their ideas and thoughts and implement them in Kurdistan. There are some Kurds who have come back to resettle in Kurdistan (i.e. Kardox who has spent 15 years in Europe)

Now this has made ordinary Kurds demand true democracy, not some mafia-like control by KDP or PUK.
These two parties are now making reforms, epsecially PUK, but I think there are still miles away from the model-European styles. But a journey of 1000 miles start with a step.

Here are some of the nasty looks of PUK & KDP :

1) PUK daily (Kurdistani Newi), has Talabani's photo on the frontpage, almost everyday. KDP is the same with Massoud Barzani in Xabat, nearly everyday (some days they run out of photos are guess).

Khabat Image click here.

Kurdistani Newi Image click here

2) Talabani & Barzani have a governmental order to have their picutres in all schools and governmental buildings.
(Photo courtesy of Sulaimania University)

(What a nasty photo to start a day with, Gee, can't they find a photo of a pretty girl or something ;) )

Barzani & Talabani have employed their families in top posts. Barzani in the first place.
Barzani clans are :
1. President of KDP (Massoud Barzani)
2. Prime Minister of Kurdistan Government (Nechirvan Barzani, Massoud's nephew)
3. Iraqi Foreign Ministry (Hoshyar Zebari, Massoud's cousin).
4. Member of the KDP leadership council, Masrur Barzani, (Massoud's son)
5. Saywan Barzani, Kurdistan Regional Government's representative in Europe (Massoud's cousin).
and the list goes on.