INSTITUT KURD E DE PARIS Information and liaison bulletin N°337 april 2013 The publication of this Bulletin enjoys a subsidy from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DGCID) aqnd the Fonds d’action et de soutien pour l’intégration et la lutte contre les discriminations (The Fund for action and support of integration and the struggle against discrimination) This bulletin is issued in French and English Price per issue : France: 6 € — Abroad : 7,5 € Annual subscribtion (12 issues) France : 60 € — Elsewhere : 75 € Monthly review Directeur de la publication : Mohamad HASSAN Numéro de la Commission Paritaire : 659 15 A.S. ISBN 0761 1285 INSTITUT KURDE, 106, rue La Fayette - 75010 PARIS Tel. : 01-48 24 64 64 - Fax : 01-48 24 64 66 www.fikp.org E-mail: bulletin@fikp.org Information and liaison bulletin Kurdish Institute of Paris Bulletin N° 337 April 2013 • IRAQI KURDISTAN: THE NEXT ELECTIONS SET FOR SEPTEMBER 2013. • IRAQ: AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN ERBIL AND BAGHDAD SIGNED AGAINST A BACKGROUND OF VIOLENCE. • TURKEY: A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION ON THE 2012 REPORT REGARRDING TURKEY’S JOINING THE EU. • IRAN: THE “KURD MEN FOR EQUALITY” CAMPAIGN STARTS A WORLDWIDE “BUZZ”. • CULTURE: ESTELLE AMY DE LA BRETÈQUE’S BOOK “PAROLES MÉLODISÉES” (MELODIC SPEECH: YEZIDI EPIC TALES AND LAMENTATIONS) HAS JUST BEEN PUBLISHED . IRAQI KURDISTAN: THE NEXT ELECTIONS SET FOR SEPTEMBER 2013 he next presidential Wishing to cut short the elections in Iraq’s rumours in the Kurdish media of The PUK perhaps hopes to win Kurdistan Region his “concealed death”, those back some votes that had, hither - T have been set by the round his have issued pictures to, gone to Goran, considering Iraqi High Election showing the Iraqi President seat - that its alliance with the KDP commission for the 21 st ed at a table in the garden of his had lost it some of its electorate. September 2013. These elections health centre in Germany, wear - This, at any rate, is what is said will be taking place in a political ing town clothes and surround - by Muhammad Rauf, who leads period in which the issue of a ed by doctors. the Kurdistan Islamic Union. power vacuum and of succes - Muhammad Rauf, also insinu - sion are raised on all sides. However, while there is now no ates that there have bee secret doubt that Jalal Talabani is still attempts to try and reunite The Kurdish party n which the alive, the absence of any video Goran and the PUK — or at least situation regarding its leader - or interview has only stimulated to form an electoral alliance ship is most uncertain is, of the questions regarding his real against the KDP. course, that of Jalal Talabani’s state of health and his ability PUK, since its president has not resume his duties as President of However it is certain that, in the reappeared in public since his Iraq and leader of the PUK. For Behdinan region, traditionally stroke last December. An Iranian the moment everything seems to fully behind the Barzanis, nei - press agency has even men - be in the hands of his politburo ther Goran nor the PUK can tioned his “ very recent recovery which has decided, this time to endanger the KDP’s hegemony, from his coma ”. This has been take part in the Kurdistan parlia - the party coming second in denied by his doctor, mentary elections independent - Duhok Province being the Najmalddin Karim, who states ly, separately from its ally, Kurdistan Islamic Union. In that the Iraqi President regained Massud Barzani’s Kurdistan Suleimaniyah Province the con - consciousness some months ago. Democratic Party. test is just between the PUK and • 2 • Information and liaison bulletin n° 337 • April 2013 Goran — and, if allied, they provincial elections but the torate (and especially its own would win it hands down. The opposition parties quickly activists) take part in a campaign only electoral uncertainty is in accused the tow major parties of that, from the KDP point of Erbil Province, which lies at the making “arrangements” of their view, would be largely centred border of the two political zones. own to enable Massud Barzani on a third term of office for to stand again or to extend his Massud Barzani and so would What is the Kurdish opposition term of office by one or two look like a referendum. Indeed, and what does it represent in years (at the moment it is a four some PUK leaders consider that terms of seats in the Kurdistan year term). this alliance has, for many years Parliament? past, favoured their former Omêd Sabah, one of the rivals, especially in view of the The Movement for Change, Presidency spokesmen had stared internal struggles of their own Goran, is the most powerful and the controversy as early as 30 party — divisions that have popular, but only in the PUK March by stating, on the indepen - increased with the power vacu - strongholds, since it is composed dent Kurdish NRT channel that um that began when Jalal of dissident former members. “Massud Barzani had asked or was Talabani took office as President Goran’s political line is secular likely to ask for an extension of his of Iraq and is at present and Left. term or office ”. increased as a result of his with - drawal, whether temporary or The come the two religious par - That was all that was needed to permanent, from active political ties, the Kurdistan Islamic arouse the Goran opposition, that life. Group, which, since 2009 has made this its key issue, especially been allied to two Left wing sec - as its campaign for a renewal of Caught between two fires, with ular parties to form the Service the political personnel and the an electorate disinclined to sup - and Reform List (13 seats) and fight against corruption it port Massud Barzani on the one the Kurdistan Islamic Union that launched in 2009 have begun to hand and the advantages the has two seats on its own, since it lose impact. PUK gains from its alliance in was unable to reach an agree - office with the KDP, the leaders of ment with the Islamic Group. However, the opposition is far this party, who have enjoyed this from unanimous on this issue. power sharing since 2005, may In all, the opposition has 34 seats While Mohammad Tewfiq not oppose fresh term of office for out of 111 in the Kurdistan Rahim, speaking for Goran, in the Barzani but do it in a neutral Parliament. The two government Monitor, immediately attacked mannerly abstaining from this Parties have 59 seats and 11 seats any such extension of the term of controversy. Although the PUK are ex-officio allocated to office, Salah ad-Din Bakir, has decided to present its own Christians (Assyrians, Assistant General Secretary of the candidates for parliament (esti - Chaldeans or Armenians) or Islamic Union pointed out that his mating that it can win votes from Turcomenians. Finally there is party would meet to study the Goran) it could well, after the the group of small Left wing possibility of lengthening the elections form a fresh coalition parties, communists or social- Presidential term of office as did government with the KDP. democrats, who, in order to have Amar Qadir of the Islamic Group. any elected representatives, have Replying to Goran in the middle to ally themselves with other While the Kurdistan Democratic of April, the KDP pointed out that organisations to form very het - Party, obviously, is in favour of the debate was not about an erogeneous lists like that of such an extension, what would be extension of the term of office but Service and Reform. the stand of the PUK that, this on whether or not a President in time, is campaigning indepen - office had the right to stand as a The sharpest discussion at this dently in the parliamentary elec - candidate for election for a third start of the campaign is the pos - tions, at least? For the moment its time. There is, indeed, an ambigu - sible re-election of Massud politburo has not raised any objec - ity regarding Massud Barzani’s Barzani, the present President of tions. In fact it has not made any first term of office since he was the Kurdistan Region. clear reference to this issue, which not directly elected by popular could suggest that it is not vote but by parliament in 2005. It In the first week of April meet - opposed to it. was only in the draft constitution ing took place between the KDP approved by Parliament in 2009 and PUK leaders to discus the However, it might be rather dif - that it was laid down that the presidential parliamentary and ficult for the PUK to ask its elec - President of the Kurdistan Region n° 337 • April 2013 Information and liaison bulletin • 3• be directly elected by universal — but only 97 of them were pre - would then be his “ second term or suffrage for two terms only. sent. Goran had boycotted the office ” in a more presidential and session, alleging that Parliaments less parliamentary regime The opposition holds that the first legality had expired on 4 June (unlike the previous periods), term of office (voted by 2009. In fact, the parliamentary which would have begun in Parliament) is valid while the pro- elections planned to take place in 2009, not 2005. Barzanis consider that only the May 2009 had been postponed to first election by direct suffrage 25 July for technical and bud - In a more “political” perspective, should be taken into account, getary reasons that were of the if the constitution were which would entitle him to stand resort of the Iraqi High Electoral approved by a considerable for a third term of office.