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Rudaw Net
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Gorran's rival factions announce different dates for party congress
Also in Kurdistan Kurdish leaders urge compensation for Faili genocide survivors Cold weather, lack of rain devastate Kurdistan's wheat farmers NGO slams Kurdistan MPs for drawing salaries without parliament sitting UNAMI condemns attack on Assyrian Christians in Duhok A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The two feuding factions of the Change Movement (Gorran) have announced different dates for the party's congress, with each questioning the legitimacy of the other as their internal rift deepens. 'Today, we received an official letter from the [electoral] commission to hold the party's congress on April 10,' Rovan Sarwat, Gorran's representative at the Sulaimani office of the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), told Rudaw in an interview on Friday. He is a member of the Kurdsat faction of the party. Gorran is now split between two camps: one headquartered on Zargata Hill and led by the sons of the party's late founder, Nawshirwan Mustafa, and the other based in Sulaimani's Kurdsat neighborhood under the leadership of Dana Ahmed Majid, the acting general coordinator. Nizar Mahmood, a member of the Gorran's national assembly, a senior body in the party, and part of the Zargata Hill faction, dismissed the April 10 announcement as 'untrue and baseless.' 'The Movement will officially hold its congress tomorrow [Saturday], and nothing has changed,' he told Rudaw. A letter issued in late March by the political parties' affairs department of IHEC confirmed April 5 as the date for Gorran's congress, following a request from the Zargata-aligned general committee. Sarwat countered that April 10 is now the 'official date' and that the earlier arrangement has been annulled. He said that the congress will take place 'outside Zargata Hill under the supervision of IHEC.' The rift in the party emerged after the death of its founder and repeated poor electoral performances. Gorran emerged on the scene and made history in 2009 by winning 25 seats in the Kurdistan Region's 111-seat parliament, becoming the first opposition party to make significant electoral gains, campaigning on a platform of reform and transparency. The party, however, has suffered a steep decline in popularity, particularly after controversial decisions such as handing power to the sons of founder Mustafa following his death, and entering into alliances with the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK)—moves many viewed as a betrayal of its reformist roots. In Iraq's 2021 parliamentary elections, Gorran failed to secure a single seat. In the aftermath of the loss, all members of the party's governing body, including then-leader Omar Sayyid Ali, resigned. Last September, Ali formally handed over leadership to Majid in a public ceremony held in a park in Sulaimani after Mustafa's sons blocked access to the party's Zargata Hill headquarters in protest of Majid's appointment. Just ten days before the Kurdistan Region's October 2024 parliamentary elections, Majid announced Gorran's withdrawal from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and local administrations. In that vote, Gorran secured only one seat.
Rudaw Net
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
NGO slams Kurdistan MPs for drawing salaries without parliament sitting
Also in Kurdistan UNAMI condemns attack on Assyrian Christians in Duhok Landmine blast kills tradesman in Soran Turkey-PKK clashes intensify in Duhok province More government support needed as Kurdistan autism cases increase: Association A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Four months after they were sworn in, Kurdistan Region's parliamentarians have not returned to the legislature, a researcher told Rudaw on Thursday, criticizing the lawmakers for receiving more than two billion dinars in salary payments but not doing any work. 'We have 19 committees [in the parliament]. In the span of three months each committee should have a minimum of six meetings per month, multiply that by 19 and they should have held 114 meetings. Not only have they failed to hold a single session, but they have not formed the committees,' Sarwar Abdulrahman, head of PAY Foundation for Education and Development, told Rudaw's Nwenar Fatih. 'The only thing that has changed in the Region's parliament, frankly, is that members of parliament have been provided salaries, period. There is nothing more, meaning their salaries are illegal,' he added. The PAY Foundation for Education and Development is a Kurdistan-based NGO that monitors parliamentary performance, governance, and transparency. It publishes reports on legislative activity and advocates for accountability. After the October 20 election, parliament held its first session on December 2. It was chaired by the oldest member and the MPs took the parliamentary oath. The legislature did not elect a speaker, deputy speaker, or secretary. No other sessions have been scheduled. Abdulrahman said that the initial swearing-in session is legally void as the parliament is still lacking a presidency. He also noted that any decisions made, salary allocations, and other privileges are also legally null. Under Article 51 of Parliament's internal rules, members must follow a set weekly schedule: Sundays are for meeting with constituents, Mondays for committee meetings, Tuesdays and Wednesdays for parliamentary sessions, and Thursdays for follow-ups with the government, Abdulrahman explained. 'Fridays and Saturdays are officially designated as weekends. However, to them, every day of the week has been a weekend in the past four months,' he said. He said that the lawmakers should not have accepted their salaries and their first act in office should not be one of corruption and illegality. Out of 100 members, 97 have taken their oaths. PAY recently published a report on the Kurdistan Parliament's current term that also provided salary breakdowns. Each member has a base monthly salary of 8.2 million IQD, but because committees have not been formed, they do not receive the additional 500,000 IQD committee bonus. This brings their actual salary to 7.7 million IQD per month. In three months, each parliamentarian received approximately 23.1 million IQD, despite the lack of legislative activity. As of March, total spending on salaries has reached 2.24 billion IQD, according to PAY. Each member has also been assigned three bodyguards and provided with a house or apartment. No single party won a majority in the election, meaning a governing coalition will need to be formed, as has traditionally been the case. The two ruling parties - the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) - who came first and second in the vote, have made progress in government formation talks. The distribution of posts in the government will be announced after the Eid al-Fitr holiday, a PUK spokesperson said late last month.
Rudaw Net
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Landmine blast kills tradesman in Soran
Also in Kurdistan Turkey-PKK clashes intensify in Duhok province More government support needed as Kurdistan autism cases increase: Association Kurdistan Region Presidency condemns attack on Assyrian Christians in Duhok Nearly 200 thousand tourists visited Kurdistan during Eid A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A landmine blast on Monday killed a 35-year-old tradesman in the mountainous areas of the Soran independent administration, a local witness said. 'We were distant from where he was. When we heard the sound of the blast, we saw a lot of smoke rising. After nearly ten minutes, I reached where he was, but it was of no use. From his torso to his foot, none of it had remained,' Gailan Jamal, a local who saw the incident, told Rudaw. Nazim Salihi, the victim, was married and had two children. Poverty had forced him to turn to the Qalarash mountain to obtain spring herbs, according to Jamal. But thousands of landmines are located in the area. His family said that years ago, Salihi's father had also lost his life to a landmine blast. The Kurdistan Region is known for its tall mountains. However, landmines dating back to the Iran-Iraq War and the ongoing conflict between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) along the border have killed many. Some of the minefields are only a few hundred metres away from nearby villages. 'Despite many announcements to raise awareness through our teams… advising and instructing people, especially in this season, to stay away from dangerous areas riddles with mines … this is the second person in Soran independent administration this year to get killed in mine blasts,' said Rabar Anwar, head of media of the Kurdistan Region's Mine Action Agency (IKMAA). In August, Mustafa Hameed, head of media at the Iraqi Directorate for Mine Action (DMA), told Rudaw that mine removal teams in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region have cleared 4,540 of the 6,600 square kilometers of areas with landmines since 2003 in joint efforts between Baghdad and Erbil. The Iraqi DMA and the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) IKMAA have been working together since they signed a memorandum of understanding last year, outlining their cooperation and mutual technical support until 2028. Iraq and the Kurdistan Region suffer from the widespread presence of landmines, a legacy of the Iran-Iraq War, the 1991 Gulf War, the 2003 US-led invasion, and the Islamic State's (ISIS) brutal reign across the north and west from 2014 to 2017. Vast areas of the country still need to be cleared for the safety of its people. Andam Jabar contributed to this report.
Rudaw Net
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Turkey-PKK clashes intensify in Duhok province
Also in Kurdistan More government support needed as Kurdistan autism cases increase: Association Kurdistan Region Presidency condemns attack on Assyrian Christians in Duhok Nearly 200 thousand tourists visited Kurdistan during Eid Unfinished stories: poverty in Kurdistan Region A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Local residents in northern Duhok province on Wednesday reported heavy clashes between the Turkish army and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), restricting freedom of movement and exacerbating mass displacement for the villagers. 'The bombardment was very intense,' Fayeq Balavai, a resident in the Niheli area in Amedi district, told Rudaw on the phone. Videos sent to Rudaw verified the intensity of the bombardments and the clashes. The citizen mentioned that the continuous fighting near their village has made life difficult, to the extent that "there is no life left, and our villages are becoming abandoned." Turkey began intensifying its decades-long war against the PKK, especially in Duhok province, last year with the goal of cutting the Kurdish armed group off from its borders. PKK's jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan called on the group to disarm and disband in late February, requesting them to take the struggle for Kurdish rights into the political sphere. Nevertheless, despite constantly showing rhetorical support, neither the Turkish government nor the PKK has so far leaped towards actual peace. The PKK has repeatedly stated it is unable to dissolve fully without Ocalan's attendance at an official congress to ratify such a decision. Ocalan's message sparked hope for an end to the conflict that has taken 40,000 lives. The Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT), a human rights organization monitoring the conflict, noted in its early March report that the "Turkish government has made no comment about how Turkey would support a peace process and the reintegration of PKK members." The Kurdistan Region has long been a battleground for settling scores between Turkey and the PKK. As of March, the conflict has caused the 'full or partial' displacement of 1,190 villages and claimed 721 civilian lives, according to CPT.
Rudaw Net
02-04-2025
- Health
- Rudaw Net
More government support needed as Kurdistan autism cases increase: Association
Also in Kurdistan Kurdistan Region Presidency condemns attack on Assyrian Christians in Duhok Nearly 200 thousand tourists visited Kurdistan during Eid Unfinished stories: poverty in Kurdistan Region Kurdish tribal leader invites 3,000 to Eid meal in Duhok A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Autism is becoming increasingly prevalent in the Kurdistan Region and the government must provide greater support for affected families, an autism association said on Wednesday, on World Autism Awareness Day. "Despite our group's relentless efforts, autism is becoming more prevalent in the Kurdistan Region year after year," Kamal Jabari, head of the Kurdistan Autism Association, told reporters. He called on the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to establish an advanced training and rehabilitation center in collaboration with organizations to accommodate autistic children, including those above the age of 12. Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech, and nonverbal communication. The United Nations General Assembly designated April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day in 2007. Jabari said that in 2008, one in 150 children in the Kurdistan Region had autism, but the number has since risen to one in 90. "I warn that in another 20 years, one in every 10 to 15 children will be born with autism, meaning every household will have a child with autism," he cautioned. He detailed that the Kurdistan Region has 3,900 children with autism, including 1,350 in Erbil province. Of those, 80 percent are boys, 20 percent are girls, and 40 percent have severe autism. In Sulaimani province, there are 950 children with autism, with 79 percent being boys, 21 percent girls, and 45 percent classified as severe cases. Jabari said the issue of autism has been 'neglected,' with little consideration for the financial and mental struggles of families. He claimed that autism has led to the separation of 50 families and that "80 percent of parents of children with autism suffer from mental instability." According to Jabari, only 12 percent of autistic children benefit from government-run autism centers, while a mere 11 percent receive financial support from the government. RELATED: Lack of support, tolerance turns Kurdistan into hell for autistic children Governmental autism centers in the Kurdistan Region face challenges, and families of autistic children struggle with limited government support, often unable to afford treatment at private centers. Some families have risked their lives by illegally migrating to Europe in search of better care for their autistic children. To ease the burden on families with autistic members, Jabari urged the government to open a special education department and issue a decree exempting families with autistic children from water and electricity bills, housing costs, and marriage loans.
