Kurdish Islamic Party member resigns ahead of Sep. 30 elections

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A member of the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) leadership announced his resignation on Friday, accusing his party of failing to implement the ambitious programs it promotes.

Ali Ibrahim Ali, from the Duhok branch of the KIU leadership, held a press conference in the northern province where he said that his party “promotes many important slogans it is unable to follow through on, such as justice, reform, freedom, and brotherhood.”

“It’s true that they are crucial slogans, but there are no practical steps or implementation of those promises,” he told reporters.

The KIU, known as Yekgirtu in Kurdish, is currently the fourth largest party in the Kurdistan Region and the biggest Islamic bloc in the regional parliament, with 10 seats out of total 111.

“Another criticism I have of KIU is the way they think. They have a very narrow way of thinking and don’t accept development in the party," he said. "It fears new ideas and changes."

He added that, if any members of the party have a new idea or a new project, they might risk being removed from their post and noted that many KIU members over the past few years had left the party for similar reasons.

“The KIU does not evolve or adapt itself to ongoing changes in the world. It resists change.”

The leadership member also added that he is now an independent politician and has not decided to join any other party. In the future, though, he said he might choose one if he is interested in their program.

Ali’s resignation comes weeks ahead of the parliamentary election in the Kurdistan Region in which his former party has formed a coalition with the Kurdistan Islamic Movement (KIM), running in the upcoming election under the name of “Towards Reform," with reform being one of its main rallying cries.

Editing by John J. Catherine