1/11/2005
Iraqi & Kurdistani Elections Coverage.
The political parties have started campaigning for the elections. In Kurdistan, on 31st of January 2005, the people of Kurdistan (except Kirkuk) will go to polls to vote for :
1. Iraqi Parliament (Iraqi National Assembly)
2. Kurdistani Parliament (Kurdistan National Assembly)
3. City councils.
4. Kurdistan Referendum (Unofficial referendum conducted by The Referendum Movement to determine whether the people of Kurdistan want to stay within Iraq or no).
Now on the Iraqi level, I see some correlations between the recent Palestinian elections, and the Iraqi elections.
The photo of Yasser Arafat, was enough to give the majority of votes to Mahmoud Abbas.
In Iraq, the photo of grand Ayatollah Al-Sistani, is enough to give the Iraqi List (backed and blessed by Al-Sistani) the majority of votes. (photo at the end).
The Kurdistani Alliance List, is composed of (the 2 Kurdish ruling party, the Islamicists, some Assyrian & Chaldean parties, some Turkmen parties, and a few other small Kurdish parties, as well as independent Arab intellectuals).
For the Iraqi Parliament, I think I will vote for this list. People don't care which party they will vote for as long as they are Kurdish in the Iraqi elections.
Now to the Kurdistani Parliament elections, The same "Kurdistani Alliance List" is called "Kurdistnai Patriotic Democratic List", is composed of the same groups that I mentioned above. (Basically all the ruling parties have united).
They have a special website for the elections in Kurdish, Turkmeni, Arabic and Syriani (Assyrian & Chaldeans language). http://www.helbijardin.com/
(Helbijardin = Elections)
Many people in Kurdistan are fed up with the KDP & the PUK's policies. They think that these people are just getting rich on our benefits. For example, members of the ruling parties enjoy electricity sometimes 24/7. While ordinary people are just getting a few hours.
Many of the middle-class people will like to vote against these parties. There are 2 independent groups. One, called (The Independents & the Zahmatkeshan, a party not very happy with KDP & PUK ) , and another group of so called "independents". As well as the communists, and a few other small groups.
In the Kurdistani elections, I will vote for "The Independents & Zahmatkeshan". I tried to find this group's website on the internet but I couldn't. I found one of their candidates speeches at a Kurdish site. Dr Rebwar Fatah: Candidate for Independents & Zahmatkeshan.
Let's see if we can do something "democratically" this time. I hope that the PUK & KDP will lose in the Kurdistani elections, and I hope that Kurds will get the maximum votes in the Iraqi elections.
Some election news:
+ In Kirkuk, 170 000 will be allowed to vote, of those 145,000 returning Kurdish refugees. They have 5 days between 15-20 of January to register themselves. (published in Peyamner.com and KDP's Khabat official daily.)
Posters of the Political parties:
Kurdistan Alliance List :
Iraqi elections logo:
Kurdistan elections logo:
Iraq's Alliance List :
