Latest news with #Gorran
Rudaw Net
02-06-2025
- Business
- Rudaw Net
Kurdistan parties say will pursue dialogue with Baghdad over funding
Also in Kurdistan Erbil authorities destroy over 8,000 vape devices in ongoing crackdown New marketing book touts Iraq as prime destination for global investment Human remains found at Zakho construction site KDP hosts meeting with Kurdish parties as tensions with Baghdad escalate A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - In a joint statement following a meeting of Kurdistan Region political forces on Saturday, the parties denounced the Iraqi finance ministry's decision to halt payments to the Region. They said they would pursue a solution through dialogue, but warned that 'all options' remain on the table. 'After necessary discussion and deliberation on this matter, all parties agreed that this decision is a political decision against the will of the people of Kurdistan and the political and legal framework of the Kurdistan Region,' read the statement. On Wednesday, the Iraqi finance ministry announced that it would no longer send the Kurdistan Region its financial entitlements from the federal budget, including the salaries of over one million civil servants of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). The meeting to discuss the ministry's decision was hosted by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in Pirmam, Erbil province. The final statement was signed by 43 parties, including the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), Kurdistan Socialist Democratic Party (KSDP), Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU), Kurdistan Communist Party, and the Kurdsat wing of the Change Movement (Gorran). The parties said Baghdad must not politicize the rights of civil servants and said that they favoured resolving the matter through dialogue. 'We consider dialogue and negotiation as the best solution for this phase, while at the same time we openly see all options before us for the sake of the higher interests of the Kurdistan Region,' the statement said. The main opposition parties did not attend the Pirmam meeting, including the New Generation Movement, the National Stance Movement (Halwest), the People's Front (Baray Gal), the Kurdistan Justice Group (Komal), and the Zargata wing of Gorran. New Generation on Friday said such discussions must take place in the parliament. Finances are a frequent source of friction between Erbil and Baghdad. In stopping the payments, Baghdad accused Erbil of failing to hand over its oil and non-oil revenues and claimed that the KRG has received its full share of the federal budget for 2025. The KDP said on Thursday that it would take a 'serious stance' if Baghdad fails to pay the May salaries by June 6, which coincides with the Islamic holiday Eid al-Adha. The finance ministry's decision to cease payments to Erbil came on the heels of the KRG inking two new oil and gas deals with American firms, drawing the ire of Iraq's oil ministry, which has taken legal action.
Rudaw Net
05-04-2025
- General
- Rudaw Net
Yazidis visit Lalish for Sefra Nan u Mast ritual
Also in Kurdistan Yezidi spiritual leader in hospital after suffering stroke Fire burns dozens of shops in Sulaimani bazaar Court orders Genel Energy to pay KRG $26.8 million in costs Gorran's rival factions announce different dates for party congress A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Yazidis brought bread and yogurt to the holy Lalish Temple as part of the centuries-old Sefra Nan u Mast tradition ahead of their new year. 'This is the path of our ancestors. Our forefathers preserved this and we are obligated to preserve this path like them. A person is known by their nature. No matter what happens, one should not abandon the traditions of their ancestors. One must follow in the footsteps of their forefathers,' Nafia Asfar, a Yazidi woman taking part in the ceremony, told Rudaw on Saturday. The Yazidi faithful carrying offerings of bread (nan) and yogurt (mast) were met by the religious leader Baba Chawish. The yogurt offerings are handed over to Nala Faqiri, the temple caretaker, and a portion is used to prepare dough. This is done by mixing it with water drawn from the sacred Zamzam and Kaniya Spi springs, which hold significance in Yazidi traditions. The bread is placed in a designated sacred area within the temple. As part of the ritual, a portion of the bread is ceremonially sprinkled with water. 'It's very nice that all the villagers gather together and we pray for ourselves. God willing, may it be a year of goodness and happiness,' said Zawra Mirza, another Yazidi woman participating in the ritual. The ceremony concludes with traditional dancing. These ancient practices passed down through generations reflect the enduring cultural and spiritual heritage of the Yazidi people. The Yazidis have endured years of suffering under the Islamic State (ISIS), losing many loved ones to the group's violent acts. ISIS militants abducted more than 6,000 Yazidis, mainly young women and children, when in 2014 they seized control of Shingal in northern Iraq. The fate of 2,832 of them remains unknown, according to the most recent statistics from the Office of Rescuing Abducted Yazidis, which is affiliated with the Kurdistan Region Presidency. The office has also documented 93 mass graves of Yazidis who were killed by ISIS militants between 2014 and 2017.
Rudaw Net
05-04-2025
- Health
- Rudaw Net
Yezidi spiritual leader in hospital after suffering stroke
Also in Kurdistan Yazidis visit Lalish for Sefra Nan u Mast ritual Fire burns dozens of shops in Sulaimani bazaar Court orders Genel Energy to pay KRG $26.8 million in costs Gorran's rival factions announce different dates for party congress A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Yazidi spiritual leader Sheikh Ali Ilyas is in stable condition after suffering a stroke, his attending physician stated on Saturday. "The stroke was mild and he is now under observation," Dr. Mohammed Aziz told Rudaw's Naif Ramadan from the private hospital in Duhok where the Yazidi spiritual leader is being treated. His health deteriorated Friday night. Ilyas holds the position of Baba Sheikh, which is the title given to the Yazidi supreme spiritual leader. He was appointed in late 2020 by Yazidi community leader Mir Tahsin Bag, following the death of his predecessor Khurto Hajji Ismail. Aziz said high blood cholesterol levels, stress, and smoking were contributing factors behind the stroke. 'He smokes around 40 cigarettes [a day],' he added. Ilyas will remain in the hospital for three to four more days, but his condition 'does not require treatment from outside the country,' the doctor added. Ilyas was born in Shekhan, Duhok province in 1979. His father served as the spiritual leader from 1978 to 1995. He was inaugurated during a ceremony at the holy temple of Lalish in November 2020, attended by some 5,000 Yazidis from across the Kurdistan Region and Iraq. The Baba Sheikh told Rudaw at that time that the return of thousands of Yazidis kidnapped by the Islamic State (ISIS) in 2014 would be a priority for him. He said the kidnapped women are 'holy' and 'I will carry their message wherever I go.' His predecessor made an unprecedented decision to welcome back women and girls who had been raped by ISIS, breaking with the tradition that forbids relationships with non-Yazidis.
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
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Kurdish officials slam unequal police recruitment in Kirkuk
Also in Iraq KRG denies Development Road deal with Baghdad Gorran's two factions clash over planned party congress Sadr to sit out 2025 legislative ballot over prevalent 'corruption': Statement No new projects in Iraq's 2025 budget A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdish officials in Kirkuk expressed concern on Friday about ethnic imbalances in recent police recruitment and urged Baghdad to ensure fair representation of the city's diverse communities in future hiring. At a graduation ceremony for 149 police recruits, only seven officers were Kurdish, while the majority were Arab, with minimal Turkmen representation. This was the third such graduation in Kirkuk recently. "The governor will personally intervene and raise this issue with Baghdad," said Nashat Shahwez, chair of the Kirkuk Provincial Council's security committee. He said that future recruitment "must consider Kirkuk's diversity" and "maintain balance between its various ethnic and religious groups." Kirkuk Governor Rebwar Taha attended the ceremony but did not publicly address the recruitment concerns. Hassan Majid, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) faction in the provincial council, told Rudaw the total number of Kurdish graduates across all three recruitment rounds "does not exceed 25." The KDP issued a strongly worded statement condemning the recruitment pattern as "a premeditated discriminatory policy" that it says reduces Kurdish participation in state institutions and exacerbates economic hardship in Kurdish communities. The party described the hiring process as "a clear violation of justice and equal citizenship," and claimed it continues historical practices that have decreased Kurdish representation in Kirkuk's governance to under 15%. "We will pursue all legal and constitutional means to address this injustice," the statement added. Kirkuk is a multi-ethnic city of Kurdish, Arab, Turkmen and Assyrian communities. It was jointly administered until Kurdish forces took full control in 2014 when Iraqi forces withdrew during the Islamic State (ISIS) offensive. Iraqi government forces regained control in October 2017 following the Kurdistan Region's independence referendum. The current governor, a Kurd, has been in the post since August.
