Dawn of a new era: The Kurdistan Region independence referendum

Kurd24

While the Kurdistan Region has often been noted as an already fully-functional state-like entity for over 10 years, pragmatic efforts are currently underway in the hopes of making this reality official. Although intra-Kurdish political discrepancies exist, one thing which seems apparent is the Kurds have long deemed independence a unifying rallying point; this may accelerate the process which has recently been initiated. There can be no doubt the outcome of this popular vote is largely expected to be unanimously in favor of a “yes” for the independence of the Region.

However, historically, the Kurds have long been denied what many would view a natural right in the form of state-building and self-determination. In the century-long episode since the denial of this right, conflict, and diplomacy have been visited interchangeably by the Kurds in Iraq and the mounting leverage has culminated in the actualization of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). And now, the imminent independence referendum, which party officials have sighted to take place in autumn of this year.

While the referendum is understood to be a non-binding one (meaning the outcome of the vote will not necessarily lead to its instant implementation), it is significant for its effect in ushering a new era for the Kurds. The upcoming independence referendum epitomizes the aspirations of a self-governing nation, which already has a governing system that includes ministries, departments, and a myriad of different parties. Such aspirations have, over the years, proven unwavering and the independence of the Kurdistan Region has been changed from a case of impossibility to one of eventuality.

The main political players who have encouraged this independence referendum process have been the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Kurdistan Patriotic Union (PUK), while conditional support is broad-ranging across other parties (including the “Gorran” movement). Moreover, a committee is currently being established to negotiate this undertaking both internally within Iraq and with its neighbors and international allies. Notably, the current Parliament stalemate is not particularly conducive to a political decision of this nature, but there has been a show of willingness across-the-board to reinstall parliament. If such a scenario materializes, this is likely to further catalyze the legitimization of the outcome of the independence referendum.

These are all promising signs. If the political parties of the Kurdistan Region (specifically the KDP and PUK) manage to completely unify their stances vis-à-vis the post-independence referendum and all it entails, an actionable testament of the democratic will of the people is quite the bargaining card to be held in one’s hand when lobbying for independence. There can be no doubt such leverage will be needed as the independence referendum of Kurdistan has already met some opposition, both internally (among leaders and influential figures in Baghdad) and externally (officials in neighboring states).

If such a feat is to be successively achieved, the KRG delegations must be able to convince its neighbors the independence of the Kurdistan Region is far from a threat and must instead be considered a stabilizing factor within the region.

Moreover, in 2014, KRG affiliated security forces rushed into areas considered disputed territory between Erbil and Baghdad as a consequence of the Iraqi troops fleeing. These areas have also been reportedly earmarked to be included in the referendum. In most of these areas, such as Kirkuk, unprecedented security and peace have been restored to the governorate now that the KRG security forces are at the helm of counter-terrorism efforts.

Indeed, in the last two years, the Kurdistan Region has acted as the bulwark of defense in the international community against the terrors of the Islamic State (IS) through its Peshmerga forces. They have also simultaneously hosted over 1.8 million internally displaced people and refugees from the Syrian conflict in mass camps. This endeavor ought to, in itself, be enough to convince the international community of the Region’s capacity to influence the current realities in the Middle East for the better. 

Due to this, the West (especially the US and the UK) should also abandon their expired hopes of a “unified, federal, and democratic Iraq.” Instead, they should incorporate a more holistic approach in striving for an entirely more peaceful region. The self-determination of the Kurds in the form of an independence referendum is a good place to start. This corner of the world has ushered in a new age of self-determination, and with it comes a new era in the history of the Kurds.

 

Barzani Hussein is an academic and analyst with a primary focus on contemporary Kurdish and Middle Eastern affairs.

 

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Kurdistan24, any related institutions, or organizations.