Kurdish politician Mehmud Osman spoke to the ANF about the newly established government in Iraq, the plans of the US state, Russia and Iran for Rojava, the attacks of the Turkish state against Rojava, Southern Kurdistan and the Kurdistan regional parliament and the Kurdish National Congress.

“Impossible to form a proper government in this condition”

Osman pointed out that the new government established in Iraq, “cannot really be called a government. Discussions are going on even on the 14 new ministers, who have received the vote of confidence. Because there are many parties, groups and organizations in Iraq and each is carrying out a separate discussion. Each party says something different. There are some things that need to be clarified.

On 6 October, all newly elected ministers were convened in parliament - Osman said - and a decision was taken to conduct a discussion on contradictory issues in order to take a decision. Each party has designated someone for a ministry, in the hope things will go smooth. But that's not enough. I don't think this would be a very successful government. It has no power to be a successful government. Hadi Amiri, Moqtada al-Sadr have made decisions without consulting other lists and parties, without getting the approval of the Kurds from Barzani. How can such a government ever succeed? That's why I think things won’t be easy for the new government.”

Osman continued: “Before the government was even established, already each party and group was saying something. The Prime Minister should have told, even before being elected, that he wouldn’t be able to succeed while each party was speaking differently. He would have been stronger now had he done that. But he didn’t. for this reason, everyone wonders now if he can really be prime minister on the Tuesday session. In Iraq problems are many and very deep. These problems cannot be solved by the governments established in this way. It can't succeed. Iraq has theft, corruption, security, economic, service and border problems. First of all, there is the danger of DAESH (ISIS). Then there are embargo and sanctions imposed on Iran by the US. These problems are an obstacle to the success of the new government. In spite of all this, I think people should wait for a while. I want this government to succeed and I hope it will”.

National Unity will help Kurds

Mehmud Osman stated that even if the Kurds form their national unity, the issue would not be solved so quickly. “Because there are many unresolved issues. Iraqi Kurdistan is known as only being Duhok, Hewlêr and Sulaymaniyah. There is a Peshmerga, gas and oil problem. If Kurds take a common position they will be in a more advantageous position to take their rights. Since there is no national unity, Baghdad is trying to benefit itself from this crisis. After the parliamentary elections, the KDP and the PUK, whether they wanted to or not, could not establish the government without the other one, and both sides already accepted the results. These two parties must set up a government with other minorities. The parties discussing the legitimacy of the elections can make opposition. If the opposition happens, many problems will be resolved”.

Parliament should be working properly

Dr. Mehmud Osman continued: “Decisions are taken outside parliament but in the name of the parliament. Party leaders decide outside of the parliament and in fact the parliament has become their subsidiary. In order for the Parliament to fulfill its role, different political parties, parties and institution members should be elected and decide for the future of the people. Then the parliament can be active”.

Need for national unity and attitude

Kurdish politician Mehmud Osman finally mentioned the importance of the Kurdish National Congress.

“Unfortunately, - he said - there is no unity among the different parts of Kurdistan and we are far away from each other in the national sense. Political parties have gathered to try and solve this issue many times, but they have failed so far. One of the first obstacles to national unity is the interventions of Turkey and Iran as well as the dispute among parties. Erdogan says every day he would attack Rojava and Southern Kurdistan and does so. Iran bombed HDK-I and HDK and nobody said anything. This fragmentation is favouring the enemy”.