While the political crisis in South Kurdistan deepens as KDP forces prevented the president of the Parliament, Dr. Yusuf Mıhemed to enter Hewler (Erbil) yesterday. Three parties in Hewler, PUK, Islamic Unity and Islamic Society are now preparing to hold a meeting today to discuss over adopting a common attitude against the developments. PUK deputy secretary general Kosret Resul, chair of Islamic Unity Party Mıhemed Ferec and Kurdistan Islamic Society Party chair Eli Bapir will attend the meeting to discuss the recent crisis and to develop a common attitude by three parties.

The political crisis in Hewler escalated after the KDP stated on Sunday, Oct. 11 that the ministers from Goran movement, including the president of the parliament, must resign from their posts and leave Hewler. On Monday, KDP announced that the ministers in the government and the officers in the parliament from Goran movement as well as the president of the parliament Dr. Yusuf Mıhemed were forbidden entry into the parliament building.

Dr. Yusuf Mıhemed and deputies from Goran movement was stopped on Monday on their way from Suleymaniyah to Hewler and denied entry into Hewler. In the meantime, Sefin Dızayi from KDP said the prime minister of South Kurdistan government Neçirvan Barzani told on the phone to ministers from Goran movement to leave their posts. Dizayi then added that the prime minister assigned undersecretaries to the posts of those ministers from Goran movement.

In response to the KDP’s statement, Goran movement said they would not leave their posts and continue their duties. Goran movement said in a statement that: “With which logic does the KDP put itself into the place of the law and the constitution and tell us to withdraw from the government? KDP has no right as a political party to violate the laws and the constitution and to impose instability on Kurdistan”.

The president of the parliament Dr. Yusuf Mıhemed, defined the developments as a “coup” in a press conference he held upon his return to Suleymaniyah after being denied entry into Hewler. Mıhemed said at the conference, which was also attended by deputies from all four parties represented in the government, that the coup carried out by KDP would not be successful adding that Hewler has been occupied by the KDP.

“We will end the occupation of Hewler. Kurdistan people must stand with the parliament. The demands of the people are legitimate and they took to the streets to gain their rights” said Mıhemed and criticised the police brutality against the demonstrators who took to the streets in protest at economic and political crisis in South Kurdistan. At least four people were reported killed last weekend in a string of protests that spread to most major towns in the south of the autonomous region in recent days.

Stressing that the existing problems cannot be solved on the basis of such an approach, Mıhemed said “The existing crisis, specifically the economic crisis and the non-payment of the salaries and the presidential crisis made people take to the streets. Destroying the political unity in the region in the face of these developments cannot contribute to the solution of the problem”.

Public workers in South Kurdistan demonstrate and strike for a week in protest at their denial of payment for four months because of the deepening economic and political crisis in the region. As the anger escalated during the demonstrations, protestors attacked the buildings of the parties they hold responsible for the multiple crisis, burning down the buildings of the KDP in Suleymaniyah and Germiyan regions. KDP alleged in response that those who burned the party’s buildings were from Goran movement and held Goran movement and its general secretary Noşirvan Mıstefa responsible for the escalating violence which -it said- would be responded. The Goran movement responded to the allegations of the KDP by saying that the KDP has no longer any legitimacy in South Kurdistan.

In the meantime, five parties in the government held a joint meeting on Oct. 8 amidst the protests to discuss the political crisis in the region, however could not reach a consensus. Four parties in the government, PUK, Goran Movement, Yekgirtu İslami and Komala İslami proposed KDP to choose one of the two options: either the president is elected by people and the presidential competencies are narrowed down or the president is elected by the parliament and has large competencies. KDP on the other hand proposed that the president must be elected by the people and hold a large field of competencies.