WKI Applauds Agreement to Reconvene Iraqi Kurdistan Parliament
Urges Continued Development of Democratic Principles Throughout Iraq
Press Release
September 12, 2002
Washington, D.C. – The President of the Washington Kurdish Institute (WKI), Dr.Najmaldin Karim, issued the following statement welcoming the September 8, 2002, announcement of a political accord between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan PUK:
“This important agreement could not have come at a more opportune moment, as change in Iraq appears imminent. Whatever now happens, the Kurds will be stronger and in a better position to effect outcomes which will determine their future. As the people of Iraqi Kurdistan develop a civil society, this united stand with regard to regional, national and international issues will provide stability and a constructive framework to advance principles of democracy and human rights throughout Iraq. For the citizens of Iraqi Kurdistan and their brothers and sisters around the world, the accord is a breath of fresh air in the fog of impending conflict enveloping the region.
Ratified by Mam Jalal and Kak Massoud, the accord to reconvene the Iraqi Kurdistan National Assembly in Erbil follows dozens of preparatory sessions and much laudable hard work by KDP and PUK officials. The agreement brings benefits at many levels, testifying to the leaders’ political acumen and their firm commitment to the well-being of their 3.6 million citizens.
The agreement strengthens the Kurds’ position in anticipated discussions on the composition of a future government in Baghdad. The accord also enhances the ability of Kurdish diplomats to gain much needed support from the international community. Furthermore, the accord signals that regional powers working to divide the Kurds will be deprived of a favored means of undermining Kurdish aspirations.
Next month, when parliament reconvenes in Erbil, Kurds and Iraqis around the world will have much reason to celebrate. The Washington Kurdish Institute, working since 1996 to foster Kurdish reconciliation, will join the celebration. We congratulate Kak Massoud, Mam Jalal and all those who worked to so hard to realize this historic accord.
But lest we forget how events move so unpredictably and how the enemies of the Kurds are always at work, I urge all Kurds and their leaders to remain focused on the difficult tasks at hand. Let us use the reopening of Parliament to renew a commitment to the principles which have brought us to this day and which will make the democratic institutions of Iraqi Kurdistan immune to future shufflings of dictators and their repressive designs.”