‘THE KURDISH LEADERS ARE DRUNK WITH POWER AND WEALTH’: AYOUB BARZANI
Written on December 24, 2012 by Editor in Barzani, Interviews, KRG,
Kurdistan The Kurdish independent newspaper Hawlati interviewed the
Kurdish historian Mr. Ayoub Barzani about the political challenges
facing Kurdistan. This is a KT translated summary.
Ayoub Barzani During the interview, Mr. Barzani ruled out the
possibility of uniting the regional armed and security forces. He
suggested that concerns over security and survival determine the
priorities of the PUK and KDP leaders. He said that “their struggle
over power and the bloody factional war in the 1990s created a
mistrust environment, which led the two leaders to strengthen their
security institutions.”
Accordingly, the KDP controls Parastin and Zerevani, and the PUK
controls Dije-Terror and Zanyari. Also, both parties have separate
Asayish agencies.
Later on, Mr. Barzani questioned that “even if such a force was
established, then who will control it – the KDP or PUK?”
Mr. Barzani suggested that the KDP and PUK leaders have no will
for reform. He said: “The flagrant corruption in the governance
institutions is a chronic and self-inflicted disease. It has not
come from outside. The leadership establishes and manages corruption
and is in need of a tight security grip to protect itself. The same
goes true with all other family rule in the Middle East. Corruption
doesn’t start with low-ranking employees, but the lower-ranked ones
copy those who are ranked higher in the hierarchy.”
In 2009, the regional elections created a parliamentary opposition,
which created hope for change. However, Mr. Barzani offered another
view. He argues that the opposition groups were armed with full popular
support but failed to complete the journey. “They stopped half-way to
start dialogue with the authority, which itself really mocks dialogue
and advice.” Mr. Barzani believes that Kurdistan needs a more assertive
and aggressive opposition that doesn’t halt in the middle of the path.
In a question, Hawlati complained that the opposition, independent
press and parliament have all failed to meet the challenges facing
the region, for example, the lack of political freedoms and rule of
law and corruption.
Mr. Barzani responded by rehashing the background of the leading
parties of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). He said: “It
is important to note an important factor, which contributed to the
failure of the opposition to establish a democratic balance in the
Kurdish political arena. All the Kurdish parties, except the Islamic
Parties, are cut from the same cloth.” Mr. Barzani argued that: “The
PUK splintered from the KDP in 1960s. The Popular Democratic Party,
which was led by the late Sami Abdurrahman, fissured from the KDP in
the 1980s and later regrouped with the KDP in the 1990s, Gorran broke
away from the PUK and so on. They all belong to the “autonomy” school.
Depending on the developments facing the regions, they work together
as partners or hold back as enemies.”
Mr. Barzani added that the Southern Kurdistan parties have failed
to move on from their past: “therefore, it is difficult for them to
abandon each other and take independent and decisive decisions. They
have drained their energies in internal-conflicts and personal and
family projects that have become disastrous for the democracy and
the people of Kurdistan. It is the same parties who stand against
the democratic process.”
‘Journalism is the most dangerous job in Kurdistan’
Commenting on the challenges facing the freedom of press in Kurdistan,
Mr. Barzani said: “The majority of the independent newspapers are
centered in Sulaimani. They work in a harsh environment, facing
financial hardship and psychological and physical harassment. The
current Kurdish oligarchy persistently seeks to abort the journalists’
will to work and attempts to isolate them from people. But,
fortunately, there are independent journalists who sense the historical
and professional honor. I have no doubts that the most difficult and
dangerous job in Kurdistan is of a journalist who seek to uncover
facts for the people of Kurdistan.”
On the recent escalation of tension between the KRG and Baghdad, Mr.
Barzani suggested that the essence of the disputes between the KRG
President and Baghdad relates to the hydrocarbon sales and contracts
with foreign companies. He added that: “the Iraqi constitution is
disabled, which should be the authority to resolve the problems that
arise within the conflicting parties. Article 140 is shelved. The
other accusations relating to dictatorship are a matter of ridicule
and laughter.”
Asked about his predictions on the future of Kurdistan region, Mr.
Barzani said: “It is important to sit back and examine the twenty years
self-rule of the Kurdish leaders. What have they achieved in terms of
democracy, freedoms, social justice and foreign policy? After twenty
years Kurdistan still lacks a modern constitution. Instead, we are
witnessing a parliament that serves factional interests, a politicized
judiciary and failure to reverse Saddam’s dangerous policies that
targeted the Kurdish identity. The leaders are drunk with power and
wealth. Because of wealth, they fought bloody and barbaric wars and,
because of wealth, they united to shut down the democratic path. They
assassinated journalists and stepped on human rights.”
“The record of the past twenty years of self-rule does not suggest
optimism. However, we are noticing a major gap between the absolute
family rule and the people. Divorce is inevitable. But it can be
violent or rational.”
Mr. Barzani concluded the debate by saying that “Mr. Masoud and Mr.
Jalal’s era is that of missed opportunities.”
Ayoub Barzani is a Kurdish writer, historian and critic. He is the
son of Babo Barzani, Ahmed Barzani’s nephew and the first-cousin of
Massoud Barzani, the President of Iraqi Kurdistan. He took refuge
in Iran after the collapse of the Kurdish movement in 1975. He was
arrested and intimidated by the Iranian secret service, the (SAVAK).
He left Iran at the end of 1976 and sought asylum in the UK. Ayoub
Barzani currently resides in Switzerland, where he is a co-founder
of an organisation known as Kurdistan Democratic Alliance. He is
very outspoken about human rights breaches and corruption in South
Kurdistan. He has published three books on the Kurdish Movement. His
latest book, ‘The Kurdish Liberation Movement and the Conflict of
the Regional and International Powers’, was published in 2011.
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