Wednesday, 10 October 2007,
Kurdistan Region Presidency Logo
The Globe- Erbil
Kurds see federalism as a constitutional expression benefiting the entire country.
The Kurdistan presidency official spokesman issued a statement on October 3, calling for Iraqi political powers to attend a conference in Erbil on the issues of Iraqi federalism.
The spokesman for the presidency of the Kurdistan Region released the statement on Friday, saying, "We ask for representatives of all parties and powers to attend the general conference in Kurdistan Region's capital city of Erbil that will focus on settling the issue of national reconciliation."
Discussions will center on the major problems facing Iraq, identifying the sensitive issues, building true relations among all Iraqi components, and all issues related to building a system of federalism.
No date has been set for the conference, but official invitations will be directed to all Iraqi political sides and well-known independent persons of importance. The statement also mentioned the unity of Iraq.
"This call comes from our concern about a federal, united, multi-group democratic Iraq because we have chosen to live together, but it must be based on democracy and freedom for all," read the statement.
It also supported the U.S. Senate proposal on federalism in Iraq.
"We announce and assure that federalism is a solution that we have been seeking for a long time, as have other parts of Iraq. Federalism is an Iraqi decree before it is an external choice. It is a constitutional principle for building the Iraqi State and for solving the problems of Iraq, not only of Kurdistan."
The statement considers the U.S. Senate proposal accordant with the Iraqi Constitution. It also accused those sides who reacted negatively to the U.S. proposal of having either not read the project precisely or of "misusing it to express their chauvinist views as they attempt to return centralism to the administration of Iraq and abort the federalism principles and the Iraqi Constitution."
"Kurdistan leaders and political parties have played important roles in keeping Iraq united and division is not within their policy," the statement continued. Objectors to the U.S. Senate proposal are taking a hazardous turn because those who were against the Constitution at first are now attempting to abort the democratic and federal principles of the Constitution under the auspices of confronting the U.S. proposal and external interference.
In six points, the statement explains the reality of Iraq's governing experience. One point centers on the fact that the central governing of Iraq had allowed a singular party or section to hold exclusive authority and thus has led to a dictator system in the country. "Central rule has relegated the Kurdish people and the people of the south of Iraq to second-class citizens," read the statement.
Another point explains the current situation in Iraq as one where "political-religious parties consider themselves representative of the Sunnis while at the same time many Islamic parties express themselves as representatives of the Shi'as. Arab Iraq is ideologically divided between Sunni and Shi'a. State, government, and society are all viewed through a religious lens."
The statement from the Kurdistan presidency ensured support to the federalism system, which, according to the presidency, must be applied according to the Constitution. The people of any three provinces can vote to form a federal region of their own.
"This is the political, social, national, religious reality of the Iraqi community. The first and final decision is left for the Iraqis, themselves, how to form the regions."
The spokesman for the presidency of the Kurdistan Region released the statement on Friday, saying, "We ask for representatives of all parties and powers to attend the general conference in Kurdistan Region's capital city of Erbil that will focus on settling the issue of national reconciliation."
Discussions will center on the major problems facing Iraq, identifying the sensitive issues, building true relations among all Iraqi components, and all issues related to building a system of federalism.
No date has been set for the conference, but official invitations will be directed to all Iraqi political sides and well-known independent persons of importance. The statement also mentioned the unity of Iraq.
"This call comes from our concern about a federal, united, multi-group democratic Iraq because we have chosen to live together, but it must be based on democracy and freedom for all," read the statement.
It also supported the U.S. Senate proposal on federalism in Iraq.
"We announce and assure that federalism is a solution that we have been seeking for a long time, as have other parts of Iraq. Federalism is an Iraqi decree before it is an external choice. It is a constitutional principle for building the Iraqi State and for solving the problems of Iraq, not only of Kurdistan."
The statement considers the U.S. Senate proposal accordant with the Iraqi Constitution. It also accused those sides who reacted negatively to the U.S. proposal of having either not read the project precisely or of "misusing it to express their chauvinist views as they attempt to return centralism to the administration of Iraq and abort the federalism principles and the Iraqi Constitution."
"Kurdistan leaders and political parties have played important roles in keeping Iraq united and division is not within their policy," the statement continued. Objectors to the U.S. Senate proposal are taking a hazardous turn because those who were against the Constitution at first are now attempting to abort the democratic and federal principles of the Constitution under the auspices of confronting the U.S. proposal and external interference.
In six points, the statement explains the reality of Iraq's governing experience. One point centers on the fact that the central governing of Iraq had allowed a singular party or section to hold exclusive authority and thus has led to a dictator system in the country. "Central rule has relegated the Kurdish people and the people of the south of Iraq to second-class citizens," read the statement.
Another point explains the current situation in Iraq as one where "political-religious parties consider themselves representative of the Sunnis while at the same time many Islamic parties express themselves as representatives of the Shi'as. Arab Iraq is ideologically divided between Sunni and Shi'a. State, government, and society are all viewed through a religious lens."
The statement from the Kurdistan presidency ensured support to the federalism system, which, according to the presidency, must be applied according to the Constitution. The people of any three provinces can vote to form a federal region of their own.
"This is the political, social, national, religious reality of the Iraqi community. The first and final decision is left for the Iraqis, themselves, how to form the regions."
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