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ORSAM
CENTER FOR MIDDLE EASTERN STRATEGIC STUDIES
You all know this fact. We don’t need to hide
it”. In the same speech, it was stated that “the
budget coming from Baghdad was shared
between Sulaymaniya and Germiyan administration
(43 per cent) and Arbil and Duhok
administration (57 per cent) until 21 December
2010. 50
Based on all these, we can suggest that the
disagreement on sharing the administration
and the problems stemming from the sharing
system between parties paralyzed institutionalization
of the political system in the
region. Also, Kurdish parties led to a civil
war especially between KDP and PUK. This
situation led to a split among Kurdish political
parties, especially between KDP and PUK
in the context of government, administration
and jurisdiction. Also, the end of conflicts
between the aforesaid political parties paved
the way for the reunification of government
at high level. However, party interests prevented
the unification of two administrations
in the region. Despite the fact that elections
were held in the region for two periods and
also three-period elections were held at federal
level after the end of civil war between
the aforesaid parties, both political parties do
their best to maintain the current situation.
Nevertheless, negative consequences of this
equation in the context of sharing the administration
between the parties, as well as the
widespread corruption and problems in democratic
process led to a civilian tendency
at public level to make a reform to improve
the political system in the region in terms of
its structure. It also made it possible for the
Change (Gorran) Movement to appear in the
region as a political opposition. 51
2. CHALLENGES OF THE DEMOCRATIC
PROCESS IN IRAQI KURDISTAN
Democratic regimes have proved their success
in the face of internal and foreign crises
and risks throughout centuries. For instance,
democratic regimes won the World War
I and II in the West, and also during the Cold
War, they achieved success against totalitarian-authoritarian
regimes such as Monarchies,
Nazism, Fascism and Communism. At the
same time, those democratic regimes achieved
dealing with internal political and economic
challenges, solving crises. Thus, it made it
possible to turn the developments that led to
collapse of other regimes into an advantage.
The collapse of Communist regimes in Eastern
Europe and the split of the Soviet Union
has been a big lesson in this terms.
Mechanisms and primary elements of democratic
regime such as freedom of expression,
political pluralism, peaceful government
change give opportunity to quickly see deficiencies
and mistakes, as well as coming up
with political programmes and successful
solution of political and civilian parties, and
also alternative programmes to the suggestions
of other parties. So that, this process leads
to elimination of deficiencies and mistakes,
to development and renovation almost in
each election period. Also, these mechanisms
bring along political stability in the long term
as they create an environment to solve and
manage internal political conflicts through
peaceful methods, and they give equal opportunities
to those conflicting with one another
to come into power by gaining public consent
and pleasure.
Establishing a real democratic regime in the
region enables establishing political stability,
and improving economic and social development.
Besides, it also helps reinforcing political
power in a way to use current international
and regional opportunities in the future
to reach the goals and to get rid of potential
threats. But the democratic process encounters
major challenges in the region. And this
situation weakens its relations with the outside
and also leads to internal instabilities.
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ORSAM
Report No: 151, April 2013