Printer-friendly VersionBy Hawjin Rashadaddin
The Kurdish Globe
During its 11th session of discussing the parliamentary election law, Iraq's Parliament failed to reach an agreement that would satisfy all Iraqi parties. The differences mainly focused on how the election should be held in controversial Kirkuk province.
Ismael Shukir, member of Parliament from the Kurdistan Alliance list, announced that Parliament could not vote on the draft on its last session held on Thursday. He also noted that heads of the parliamentary lists are close to reaching an agreement and are preparing for the vote on Saturday, November 7.
He explained that the Kurdish members renewed their rejection to allow Kirkuk a special status of election while the other lists are unable to pass the law without the Kurdish blocs' approval.
Meanwhile, member in the Independent Higher Electoral Commission (IHEC), Sadar Abdul-Kareem announced that Thursday was the deadline for passing the law. He added that any further delay may cause the postponement of the January 16 elections.
There is no consent within differing Iraqi political entities concerning attempts to pass a new election bill for Iraq's January elections. The UN has submitted a new suggestion to the Iraqi Council of Representatives, in which it states that Arabs and Turkmen should receive more than two seats in Kirkuk and put an end to the pending issue concerning the election in the city.
"It was a negative suggestion. We expressed our disagreement that such a suggestion is rejected by the Kurdistan Alliance List because Kurds are terribly disadvantaged. Why should other sides receive more seats, but not Kurds?" asked Sirwan Zahawi, member in the Iraqi Council of Representatives on the Kurdistan Alliance List.
"Some Arab and Turkmen members in the Iraqi Council of Representatives do not want the elections to be held, and they want to postpone holding the election in Kirkuk, because they know if Iraq holds elections they won't be able to be members in Iraqi Parliament once again."
Zahawi explained that these sides are not supported by the people, and foreign agendas are backing the Arabs and Turkmen.
"The Americans haven't interfered in the issue of Kirkuk up to now in a direct way, but they have really put pressure on Kurds to compromise on some conditions. Meanwhile, we have informed the Americans that Kurds have compromised on many issues in the past and other sides should now compromise on something, because Kurdish people won't agree to compromise this time," noted Zahawi.
If Parliament doesn't seek a solution for the pending issues until later, then the IHEC will depend on the 2005 census, which is against the Iraqi Constitution, Zahawi added.
In the meantime, Ahlam Mansur, a member of Iraq's Parliament on the Kurdistan Alliance List, said that they will never agree with the latest suggestion by the UN: "The Kurdistan Alliance refuses any suggestion that is against the Iraqi Constitution. We defend the Constitution and do not accept any amendment that violates it because it paves the way to other violations."
Mahmud Osman, a member of the Kurdistan Alliance List in the Iraqi Council of Representatives, reported to the Voice of Dijla that U.S. commanders and officials have pressed Kurds to agree with suggested resolutions, and such suggestions are unacceptable to Kurds. The U.S. should not interfere in the Kirkuk issue or ask Kurds to compromise on it.
"Americans press Kurds to resolve the Kirkuk issue," noted Osman. "Americans are not unbiased and Kurds reject what they demand concerning the issue of Kirkuk. These suggestions complicate the issue and will never solve it."
Some Arab and Turkmen sides still refuse to hold elections in the city of Kirkuk-but the elections could be held in other Iraqi cities in a normal way.
"[The] Kirkuk issue has become a hindrance to passing a new election bill because some entities want to postpone the electoral process and depend on the 2005 election bill," said Shiha Taha, a member of the Iraqi Council of Representatives on the Islamic Union List. He noted: "The disputes among Iraqi Parliament members are due to foreign interference in Iraqi internal affairs."
Walid Shirka, a member of the Council of Representatives on the Kurdistan Alliance List and head of the Turkmen National Assemblage, reported that they have gathered 71 signatures by Iraqi parliamentarians submitted to the Iraqi Parliament Speaker, demanding non-postponement of the January's election in Kirkuk city.
"The postponement of the election in Kirkuk is against the Constitution and hinders the development of the political process in Iraq. Furthermore, the electoral process is a public demand," said Shirka in a Baghdad press conference.
Turkmen National Group, consisting of 10 Turkmen parties, is committed to the Constitution and against the decision of postponing the election in Kirkuk city. The postponement is against Article 56 of the Constitution, noted Shirka. "It is not impossible to treat Kirkuk separately from other cities."
Rashid Al-Azzawi, a member of the Iraqi Council of Representatives on the Accordance Front, reported that the old election bill is not suitable for the current time, and Parliament should agree on passing a new election bill.
Meanwhile, the meeting of the Central Office of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which was led by Kurdistan Region President Masud Barzani, focused on holding the election on the scheduled time according to the Constitution. The meeting also insisted on the stance of Kurdistan Alliance List in the Iraqi Parliament, which is that the election in Kirkuk should not be postponed and to separate it from other cities.
The meeting preferred that all the different lists should feel the sense of responsibility toward the elections in for them to be held on January 16, 2010.
Azad Barwari, the deputy of the KRG Prime Minister, reported that Kirkuk should be dealt with like other Iraqi cities for the next elections. The Iraqi Constitution arranges the relationships between Erbil and Baghdad.
"Al-Maliki's visit to Kurdistan Region was to normalize the situations in general. In reality, the visit brought about no change and the issues are still pending. We didn't feel that al-Maliki is serious in dealing with the constitutional problems," said Barwari.
The resolution for the election issue in Kirkuk is to not decree a special decision for the city. The political, historical, and geographical aspects have no relation with holding elections, noted Barwari.
In a joint press conference, the Kurdistan Alliance List and Kurdistan Islamic Union Bloc explained that they have rejected all attempts to postpone the elections in Kirkuk for six months or a year.
In a statement, the Arab and Turkmen blocs ask the Iraqi Council of Representatives to defend the project of Arabs and Turkmen in Kirkuk city, and to give special status to Kirkuk for the elections. The statement threatens that if Parliament doesn't listen to their demands, they will ask neighboring countries to interfere.
"The Political Council of the National Security is not under the pressure of the Kurdistan Alliance List, and the Arab-Turkmen demand is unacceptable because the Kirkuk issue relates to the Iraqi leadership. Any attempt to ask for foreign interference in the Kirkuk issue will certainly disadvantage the Iraqi leadership," explained the Kurdish Brotherhood List in Kirkuk's provincial council in a press conference. "The Arab-Turkmen project needs the viewpoints of all the Iraqi constituents, not only their unilateral decision."
The head of Kirkuk's provincial council, Rizgar Ali, clarified that Kirkuk is in need of election: "the election gives a new spirit to Kirkuk administration. Moreover, Kirkuk will be rehabilitated if the election is held there."
"The Iraqi Parliament has been able to overcome 90 percent of the problems of passing the new election bill. The only remaining problem is the Kirkuk issue for the elections. It needs a political solution, not a legal solution," said Aiyad al-Smarayie, Iraqi Parliament Speaker.
As the Iraqis come close to the resolution concerning the Kirkuk election, some political entities whose existence cannot be seen in the city are making allegations that will almost certainly result in dire consequences, which Kirkuk has been sold out to other sides, added al-Samarayie.