On the eve of 2009 election day in the South of Kurdistan
- KurdishMedia.com - By Mufid Abdulla
- 25/07/2009 00:00:00
What I have witnessed today is unprecedented and I would like to make the following points:
1- The first example consists of four members of the police force I saw running away from the bases in Sulaimaniyah. These individuals went to vote but were told to pretend they were illiterate so that it was necessary for someone to accompany them into the polling station. This policy basically means that the polling station will prepare someone to assist illiterate voters. Yet this practice is not taking place fairly. In Sulaimaniyah the PUK and KDP are the ones controlling the polling stations and therefore are using this policy to ensure people vote for The Kurdistani List.
2- I have seen three young people expelled from an orphanage / refuge centre because they belonged to The Change Group. They told me they are sleeping rough and homeless. The leader of the orphanage house only told them they could commit crimes in order for the police to catch them and put them back in jail so that they could get free accommodation. It is absolutely unbelievable what is happening.
3- The current leaders KDP AND PUK are intimidating and threatening people. In today’s news we can see supervisors, who come from security force apparatus, sitting outside polling stations observing and basically intimidating people. All kinds of tools are being used to try and stop people voting democratically. The Change Group are the dominant group in Sulaimaniyah and the surrounding area.
4- Today on the 22nd July 2009, local newspaper Hawlati published the latest poll in which 1750 people both inside and outside Sulaimaniyah took part and the result of this poll clearly indicates that The Change List will get the majority vote in Sulaimaniyah and the surrounding area.
5- The Change List and their leader Nawshirwan Mustafa organised a political rally at which almost 25,000 people attended who have all attended due to their own eagerness and determination for change. The PUK security forces tried their utmost to sabotage this political rally and managed to cut off the electricity supply and create chaos. However, Nawshirwan Mustafa, leader of The Change List managed to get across the Group’s message to supporters on the KNN television station.
The confidence of people to win this election is extraordinary. The anger of the mass of the people is something which can no longer be ignored and hidden. You only have to look at the faces of people to see this which I witnessed myself at the political rally on the 22nd July organised by The Change List. According to the local press today the result of the election in three days time, which we are all so eager for, will bring some surprises, which as I said in my previous article are surprises which will upset some and please some. The breaching of the rules of a democratic election is clearly taking place before our eyes and this de-regulation has been reported to the INC Higher Commission. The PUK and KDP are preparing thousands and thousands of dollars for bribing people to change parties. This is unfair and must be stopped.
- KurdishMedia.com - By Mufid Abdulla
- 25/07/2009 00:00:00