A KNC-NA statement on KRG
On May 7th 2006, Mr. Nechirvan Barzani, the prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Hawler, officially announced the unification of both administrations in Southern Kurdistan. On behalf of the Kurdish National Congress of North America, Dr. Saman Shali, the president of our organization participated at the unification ceremony and congratulated the prime minister and his cabinet members and wished them success in their efforts.
The KNC-NA considers any step towards unity to be promising for the Kurdish independence movement. We remain supportive of the KRG’s effort toward a free and peaceful Kurdistan. We are pleased that because of their democratic spirit, some members of Turcoman and Assyrian minorities were elected for ministerial position in Kurdistan. This move should remind neighboring Turkey, Iran, and Syria to stop denying the rights of their Kurdish minority. We would also like to express our concern that the presence of only a few women in the KRG cabinet could be indicative of the underrepresentation of half of the Kurdish population in the government. We hope that more importance would be given to women in future and the Kurdish government will take concrete steps to increase the status of women especially in political and social life.
While promising developments take place in this part of Kurdistan, the neighboring countries have increased the number of their military forces in their border to Southern Kurdistan and are pressuring KRG to fight against their own people, freedom fighters from other parts of Kurdistan. We believe KRG can not give in to such an intimidation and should treat the peshmergas from other regions as refugees and provide them with adequate security, since they have unilaterally avoided any offensive confrontations with their enemies.
KRG should pressure the Iraqi government and its compromising and unifying President, Mr. Talabani, to do everything in their capacity to put Kirkuk and other Kurdish cities under jurisdiction of Kurdistan Regional Government as soon as possible.
We hope KRG pays special attention to Kurdish intellectuals all over the world, who now more than ever, are contributing to awareness about Kurdish aspirations, hopes, and challenges. KRG should assure the rule of democratic law in handling freedom of expression in Kurdistan, making it a guaranteed human right. While we do not support use of unprofessional language in any critique, we believe free speech is a foundation for a free Kurdistan.
Once again, we congratulate the united Kurdish government in Southern Kurdistan and we expect the cabinet work in harmony and collectively for the best interest of our nation and we wholeheartedly wish them the best.
Public Relations Committee
Kurdish National Congress of North America
Date published: Wednesday, May 10, 2006