Category Archives: Gorran

Gorran’s Fragmented Forces

By Arian Mufid: When Gorran’s founder addressed the movement’s first conference in 2016, he stated that he wanted it to be “a solid, coherent and structured organisation with a strong system which cannot be undermined by the disappearance of one or two leaders”. Nawshirwan Mustafa passed away on 19 May 2017 and subsequently Gorran suffered…

Gorran Is A Party Without Leadership

By Arian Mufid: Since the Gorran movement was expelled by the KDP from the Kurdistan parliament in October 2015 it has never recovered. Gorran’s MPs and their ministers left Erbil and have never returned to their senses. Gorran has been in a long-term struggle with the KDP; it seems to me as though Gorran was…

Kurdish Nation Mourns for Reformist and Charismatic Leader Nawshirwan Mustafa

By Arian Mufid: Nawshirwan Mustafa, politician, warrior, writer and historian has died aged 73 after a long battle with chronic illness. He was one of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s (PUK) six original founders in 1975 and the founder of Gorran in 2009. Born in 1944 in the city of Sulaymani to an intellectual family,…

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…

How The Gorran Movement Fell Out Of Love With Change

By Arian Mufid: In 2009 when the Gorran movement gained 25 seats, a fresh chapter in Kurdish politics began with the promise of an era driven by the aspirations of young people seeking to build a new type of party unprecedented in the south of Kurdistan. The man behind this movement was Nawshirwan Mustafa, the…

Do We Need Laws and Lawyers in Kurdistan?

By Jegr Nathim: “Congratulations on an outstanding result”, said the gracious lady from the assessment and awards unit at the University of South Wales in the UK. “You will be awarded the Clark’s legal prize for the best performing LLM student!” she continued as she handed me out my Masters in Law certificate. But contrary…

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…

The Hague Declaration: Joint Diplomatic Committee of Kurdistan Political Groups

By Joint Diplomatic Committee of Kurdistan Political Groups: Freedom-loving Kurdish nation, Political forces, Families and relatives of the martyrs of Kurdistan, In this crucial phase of our history in which the entire region of the Middle East and gulf states are suffering civil, ethnic, religious and regional war, with the big threat against the struggle of…

Physical Assault in Kurdistan Parliament over Barzani’s Term Extension

By Sabir Hasan: Wednesday, 25 March 2015, we were all shocked as two MPs from Barzani’s KDP party physically assaulted MP Ali Hamasaleh from the Gorran Movement. As MP witnesses have described the assault it seems to have been well planned. The assaults happened soon after the two KDP MPs threatened Mr Hamasaleh that discussion about Barzani’s term…

Kurdistan: Why International Support is Crucial – SOAS Debate, London, 27 Feb

By Kurdistan WISC at SOAS Kurdish Society: Following the success of our first event in November, we are holding a follow-up debate  entitled “Kurdistan: Why International Support is Crucial”. SOAS, University of London, Lecture Theatre G2 Friday 27th November, 5:30pm – 7:30pm The guest panellists are: Dr Alan Semo– UK Representative, Democratic Union Party (PYD) Farhad Marf–…

Why the Gorran movement should deliver its promises

By Arian Mufid: With the formation of the new Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) cabinet, all eyes are on the Gorran movement’s ministers and members of the Kurdistan parliament. Gorran tends not to admit past mistakes but, over the past few months, it has tried to select good, qualified people for this eighth KRG cabinet. The…

The elections are over and it’s the PUK who are smiling

By Mufid Abdulla: On 30th April 2014 elections for the Iraqi parliament and local councils took place and, once again, the results have partly transformed the political map of the south of Kurdistan. This time the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) increased its seats by six, while the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) lost five seats…

How to Peacefully End Double ‘Party-State’ in Kurdistan?

Sarkawt Shamsulddin

By Sarkawt Shamsulddin: The challenge for the new cabinet is how to eliminate the status quo, double “party-state”, peacefully without creating “net losers.”(1) In order to do so, it requires an ultimate reform of both political and financial institutions. The broad-based government can be used to conduct such reforms if all parties reach a consensus…

Gorran movement in power

By Mufid Abdulla: 17th April proved an unforgettable day for the Gorran leadership when, after a bumpy road of almost six months of negotiations, they succeeded in persuading the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) to share the government with them. The KDP and the Gorran movement have reached an historic agreement on forming a new…

A vote for Gorran could make the south of Kurdistan more Islamist

By Mufid Abdulla: Last July, Babakr Dray, one of Gorran’s most high-ranking members and director of the Wusha company,  told Awene newspaper that Gorran “will not approve any rule in the parliament unless it is approved by Sharia law” This would mean that any new law in the Kurdistan parliament would have to be rooted…