Can democracy survive in Kurdistan?

[DRoshani]

Iraqi Kurdistan's parliamentary and presidential elections have given
birth to a viable opposition group for the first time since the
autonomous Kurdish region was established in 1991.

Kurdish politics has traditionally been dominated by the Patriotic
Union of Kurdistan, led by Iraqi president Jalal Talabani, and the
Kurdistan Democratic party, led by Kurdistan region president Massoud
Barzani. But the results of last month's election show that the PUK
and KDP alliance received only 57% of the total votes – a dramatic
decline from the previous election in 2005, when they won more than
85%.

The decline might have been even more severe had it not been for some
unprecedentedly vigorous campaigning by PUK officials like Barham
Salih and KDP officials like Masrour Barzani (son of Massoud Barzani
and potentially a future party leader).

The Change list, which campaigned on an anti-corruption and public
services platform, won an unexpected 24% and other opposition groups
got at least 15%.

The work of the Kurdistan Regional government is therefore set to face
effective scrutiny for the first time since its inception in 1992 and
the Kurdish parliament will now operate as a more credible and vibrant
entity as opposed to a rubber-stamping institution. With Change
holding more than 20 of the 111 assembly seats, and other opposition
parties doing well, democracy seems to be properly taking root in
Kurdistan and a new culture of criticism and public scrutiny is
setting in.

But despite these successes, hard-work and uncertainty still looms
around the corner. Internally, Kurdistan must get its house in order.
The emergence of Change has led to a combined sense of uncertainty and
suspicion that threatens to implode Kurdish politics altogether. The
main victim of Change's electoral success is the PUK, which lost to
Change in its stronghold province of Sulaymaniah and which has seen
its members defect to the offshoot group; it now faces serious
questions about its future.

Read more at
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/aug/09/democracy-kurdistan-internal-dissent-elections

[David Galile]

I will say, democracy is not a state, it is an ongoing process that
becomes its fuel from the unending longing for respect and freedom. As
long as our inner desire is to respect and be respected, and as long
as we have hearts filled with love and hope, we are on the right path.
From the moment the peace, joy and appreciation in our hearts is
replaced with blame and revange and hate, we are on the way of
becoming a tyrant with our loved once as with the people we are
interacting with :-)

> Read more athttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/aug/09/democracy-kurdist...