Does the new cabinet have legitimacy?

  • KurdishMedia.com - By Razan Lawan
  • 19/11/2009 00:00:00

Iraqi Kurdistan’s sixth government, led by Barham Salih, is now appointed and ready to deliver needed services to its citizens. Citizens in Dohuk, Erbil and Suleimani have demands, needs and opinions that must be taken into consideration by the new cabinet. A two-way, mutual consultation between the people and the government authorities has to be in place. For the latter actor, it is both a prime and critical time to show “good governance”. Delivering services that meet the citizens’ demand for transparency in state affairs, providing running water in every household, establishing around-the-clock electricity and honoring and protecting the freedom of the press are just some of the issues to be addressed and acted upon by the new cabinet.

However, there exists a problematic view of the newly established government and its appointed ministers; before it has begun to govern and perform its daily responsibilities, it has been deemed a failure. Large segments of the population share this view; there is a lack of government legitimacy, a view which has also been expressed by influential political figures in Iraqi Kurdistan. This is a negative development for our internal affairs, and maybe more importantly, for our external, foreign affairs.

When I mention legitimacy, I am not referring to the legal aspect of this. In the parliamentary and presidential elections this year, the ruling coalition of PUK and KDP got most of the seats in parliament. Most people voted for their Kurdistani List. This must be respected. However, this outcome was disputed and thus led to uncertainty after the elections. This uncertainty still flourishes in Iraqi Kurdish society. The questioning of the new cabinet and certain ministers, some being accused of corruption, and others, of not being capable of serving in ministerial posts, largely comes from the people who dispute the election results and who voted for lists other than those of the ruling parties. This emerging dissatisfaction being expressed is mainly voiced by members, officials and supporters of Goran List. These are the voices which give the new government an uncertain future, during this critical time for the KRG.

A weak Kurdish regional government, with a weak mandate and lack of support, is not what Kurds should present in their relations with the Iraqi government. Instead, it should be unity. But unity cannot emerge if the political system in Iraqi Kurdistan stays the same. The fundamental transformation must be with regard to the underlying political structures and processes, rather than the superficial appearance of change and reconstruction within the two ruling parties. It does not matter, I believe, if one official is replaced by another or if another committee is built within the party. This will not address the peoples’ demands, needs and opinions. Only by relying on democratic rules and actions, and with certain political structures in place, will these issues be addressed.

Strengthening a decisive institution such as the parliament is needed. If more than 450,000 voters rely on the Change List or other lists outside the ruling parties, then the political value of the parliament must be enhanced. It is within parliament that issues can be addressed that are beneficial to the Kurdish people.

Groups in society who have needs, demands or opinions pertaining to their welfare will begin to physically protest outside the parliament in Erbil as a form of expression, if their voices are not heard. Students, workers, families of martyrs and other groups and segments of society did not know where to go to express their dissatisfaction with issues before, but now they know.

The parliament in Erbil is now a symbol of democracy, and it is critical that it also be a real political institution for the Kurdish people. One example that demonstrates how far we are from giving the parliament its proper authority can be seen with the recent election of the ministers of the new cabinet. The parliament and the parliament speaker did not follow the “rules of the game” when parliamentarians were not given a say in the seating of both the new and old ministers of Barham Salih’s sixth cabinet. Breaches of the rules governing the election of ministers according to a democratic standard and the necessary discussion and debate in parliament were only noticed by the Goran and Yekgurtu factions. This was a mistake on the part of parliament, especially the speaker.

Unfortunately, I and many young Kurds, both abroad and in our country, do not see a bright future for the political system in the short term, based upon the way certain actions are taken by the ruling parties and their officials inside the parliament, which are not just undemocratic, but also unjust to the people of Iraqi Kurdistan. We all want that the new government to deliver on its promises, in order for the demands, needs and opinions of the people to be met. This will be a necessary condition, if the new prime minister wants strong support and a mandate from the citizens when tackling issues with the government in Baghdad. Issues facing parliamentary action that are ahead of us, including the Kirkuk dispute, need a strong, united Kurdish voice. But the bleak future I see stems from the reality that the new cabinet lacks legitimacy as a government. The rulers of KDP and PUK, who mostly control KRG and who shape its politics, did not hear the people in this year’s parliament/presidential elections in Kurdistan who screamed for “change”; a change not only in people’s daily affairs, but also a change in the whole rotten political system of Iraqi Kurdistan.

Razan Lawan, Malmö University, Sweden. Razanlawan83@hotmail.com

  • KurdishMedia.com - By Razan Lawan
  • 19/11/2009 00:00:00