Some chauvinistic forces in Iraq violating Kurdistan Region people's rights: KDP

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) announced in a statement on Sunday that some chauvinistic forces in Iraq are violating the rights of the Kurdistan Region people.

In a statement commemorating the 62nd anniversary of the September Revolution, the KDP reiterated that the only path to prosperity and progress in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region is through understanding, peace, and coexistence.

The statement added that the party has expressed regret about the agreements signed between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Iraqi Federal Government led by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani. 

Instead of honoring the terms of the accords signed with the Kurdistan Region, the federal government has betrayed and excluded the Kurdish people, which has caused deep instability and crises, the KDP statement added.

Moreover, the statement added that the post-2003 Iraqi regime turned away from the Iraqi constitution and has further exacerbated the deteriorating conditions in the country.

On Sept. 3, the Iraqi Council of Ministers decided to send 500 billion Iraqi dinars (over $384 million) in the form of loans to pay salaries to the Kurdistan Region; however, Peshawa Hawramani, spokesperson for the KRG, stated at a press conference on Monday that the federal government had unilaterally made the decision without consulting the KRG. 

Meanwhile, KRG Finance Minister Awat Noori stated on Sept. 4, that the amount of money the federal government is going to send, with a domestic revenue of about 320 billion Iraqi dinars, is not sufficient to cover all salaries.

The courts on Sept. 3 decided to stop the implementation of the Iraqi Prime Minister’s decision to hand over the current Iraqi Joint Operations Command center to the KDP, which previously conducted its political affairs inside the building prior to the 2017 military takeover of the city by Iranian-backed Shiite militias and the Iraqi military.

Prior to the court’s decision, members of the Shiite militia forces staged a sit-in for over a week in front of the KDP’s headquarters in Kirkuk, demanding that the building must not be returned to the ruling Kurdish party, which has ceased all its operations in protest of Iraqi military rule in the city.

Kurdish protesters, affected by the closure of the Erbil-Kirkuk main road for several days, protested on Saturday afternoon on the city’s popular Raheemawa street, which was met with a violent crackdown by Iraqi security forces. At least four Kurdish protesters were killed while 14 others were wounded.

The protests ended when militia members reopened the main road, whose closure negatively affected the local population.

The militias’ protest comes as the political parties, including the KDP, are set to run in the provincial elections in December. The Kurdish parties won the majority seats in the Kirkuk provincial council in the last election.

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Sunday ordered the KRG Ministry of Martyrs and Anfal Affairs to register the killed protestors in Kirkuk as “martyrs” and provide medical assistance to the wounded, the spokesperson announced.