Can the KRG wage war on corruption?

By Mufid Abdulla:

This question refers to an interview Massud Barzani, the President of Kurdistan, recently gave to a Middle Eastern newspaper and to comments he made when visiting Sulaymani to participate in the PUK’s 36th anniversary celebrations. Barzani told the press that the roots of the political crisis in Kurdistan, and especially the Sulaymani area, lay in the split in the PUK leading to the creation of a new party, the Gorran movement.  He continued that he would initiate reforms and a fight against corruption.

For the first time, the dominant parties show concern about reform and combating corruption. The 67 days of protests manifested the precarious underlying situation in Kurdistan until peaceful protesters were dispersed by force on 19 April. The parties are very nervous now because they cannot finish any interview or political rally without talking about the current crisis. They are offering a bag of changes, but to date the bag is empty. The people want transparency and a fair share of Kurdistan’s oil revenue.

The democratic way to implement reform is for laws to be passed by the Kurdistan parliament – by elected representatives and no one else. Reforms should not be dependent on the mood of our President. Change should be carried out by a technocrat government. This would be the best democratic solution to the crisis in Kurdistan. In essence, it’s what most Kurdish people want. They want change from top to bottom. But Barzani doesn’t have to go far to begin genuine reform and a fight against corruption. He can start by looking at some of the people around him.

No one in the two ruling parties has yet shown the courage to take action that would unmask corrupt politicians and ministers on our TV screens. Corruption is deeply embedded in the DNA of the KRG. Yes, we need a war on corruption and this war must not be lost. But is the KRG capable of leading it?

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