By Abdul-Qahar Mustafa: Iraqi Kurdish politicians from different political parties have recently negotiated with one another to work out their differences over the inactive parliament and presidential issues, with the hope to put an end to the political crisis in Kurdistan. However, the results of their meetings were not made public in detail and all…
.jpg)
-
Loading ... 
Category Archives: Corruption
How Gorran’s Revolution Has Been Crippled
By Arian Mufid: n July 2009 Nawshirwan Mustafa decided to convert his Washa company into a political movement which he called Gorran, which means ‘Change’. The Party’s main slogans were against corruption and for an independent judicial system and more equality. During a short period of political rallies the movement managed to attract lots of…
Hujam and Hemin: All Peshmergas Deserve Dignity, Not Disgrace
By Aras Ahmed Mhamad: When Hujam Surchi was beheaded in January 2015 by an Islamic State member and the photos of the atrocity circulated in the media, the entire Kurdish population felt outraged. Kurds all over the world felt disgraced and degraded when it became known that the IS member was speaking Kurdish. Hujam Surchi’s head embodied…
To What Extent Can Demonstrations Change Anything in the Kurdistan Region?
By Aras Ahmed Mhamad: Ever since the 2011 17 Shubat (17 February) Demonstrations, which lasted for 62 days, ended, there has not been a month or even a week without rallies, protests and demonstrations in the Kurdistan region, especially in Slemani province. In September 2014, I wrote an article entitled “Does Demonstrating Have Any Value…
You Should Not Abuse Democracy in Kurdistan
By Abdul-Qahar Mustafa: In democracy, every individual has a single vote but in a country where decision-making is controlled by a group of rich men who came together in the form of a political party, people have very little say in the actions and decisions of government. The rich privileged families, who receive special education…
Democracy and Oil
By Hogar Hadi Hassan: Ever since the 1980s, most countries in the developing world have become more democratic, more peaceful and richer. However, this statement does not apply to countries with oil. Oil producing countries around Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia are suffering from political and economic maladies that did not exist…
KRG Pursues Fake Reform Project
By Mohammed Hussein: Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) are clear examples of oil-dependent states and governments that recently got shaken by the current oil-price fall. Iraq is still struggling with the implications of the problem, but the KRG showed its dysfunctionality in the early months of the crisis. Driven by public sector employees’…
Iraq: What is the Next State of Euphoria?
By Muhamed Hassan – Immersed Thinking: Iraq’s prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, had raised people’s expectations for an end to the country’s political impasse when he presented to parliament (March 31) a new list of ministers that could form a new dawn. But there are already voices who are in disagreement with his choice, raising concerns…
Norway, Nigeria and the Kurdistan Region’s Oil Policy
By Twana Ahmed Xeyat: “Who became rich from oil in his country?” “Nobody and everybody”. The question was asked by John Campbell, a former United State Ambassador to Nigeria, and the answer was given by a Norwegian diplomat. That Norway should be so wealthy is no surprise. It is the world’s fifth-largest oil exporter, with annual…
The Disputes Between Dana Gas and the KRG
By Harem Karem & Aland Mahwy: In a letter to the Abu Dhabi Bourse on 22 October 2013 (as required under the freedom of information law), Hamid Jafar, of Dana Gas and a former advisor to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), revealed that he had filed a court case in London demanding $430 million from the…
The KRG Bond: A Double-Edged Sword
By Harem Karem and Kamal Chomani: In an article entitled ‘The KRG Economy: Booming or Dooming’, published March 2015, we explained how the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) had stumbled into financial crisis. Since then, things have only worsened. The KRG debt has surpassed $22 billion – 190% of its GDP; this includes $2 billion owed to…
Gorran Movement: In Office But Without Power
By Arian Mufid: The Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) international profile is more important now than ever. However, with the recent changes to the personnel of the KRG’s consulates and foreign offices, it is notable that no key posts were assigned to members of the Gorran movement, even though this party is a part of the…
International Support for Kurdistan: Hard versus Soft Assistance
By Goran Abdulla: The offensive by the barbaric Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) might have provided what is going to probably be a missed window of opportunity for Kurdistan region of Iraq (Kurdistan) to establish the seeds of a state with clearly defined borders. A host of economic, political and military factors…
The KRG Economy: Booming or Dooming?
By Harem Karem and Kamal Chomani: ‘Kurdistan is booming’ was the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) oligarchy’s catchphrase – often echoed by short-sighted foreign businessmen – over the past decade. Undoubtedly, there has been development: hundreds of hotels and skyscrapers have mushroomed in the region, the standard of living has improved in comparison with the civil…
Regulating the Media in Kurdistan: Mission Impossible or Ignorable?
By Harem Karem & Kamal Chomani: In 1898 Miqdad Medhet Bedirxan launched the first Kurdish media outlet, a newspaper called Kurdistan. More than a century later the Kurdistan Region’s (KR) media is in chaos, lacking a clear structure, identity or mission while also being too parochial, politicised and subject to manipulation by political parties and businessmen. The…
