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By Nawzad Mahmud, Rudaw.net:
Top Kurdish officials involved in negotiations between the opposition and ruling parties have expressed cautious optimism that the two sides have found common ground on some divisive issues, a development that could end stalled talks.
“From now on we have to hold more serious talks, because both sides have presented their reform proposals and the shared and disputed points have been identified,” said Yusuf Muhammad, the representative for the opposition Change Movement.
The opposition parties in Iraqi Kurdistan is mulling over reform proposals by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) as they prepare to enter another round of talks.
The opposition, which laid out a 22-point reform proposal following mass demonstrations in the spring, is pushing for reforms such as amending elections laws which they argue favor the ruling parties and lifting restrictions on demonstrations. They also maintain that the KDP and PUK should not have any influence over Kurdistan’s powerful security agencies, which they claim are run by the parties.
“Amending these laws will help establish democracy in Iraqi Kurdistan,” Muhammad said. “If these laws and drafts are not amended, the foundation for implementing the reform plans that we demanded will not be created. However, we can’t say that will also ruin the talks because we have a tentative understanding about these laws and drafts.”
Abubakir Ali, a Kurdistan Islamic Union leader, said the opposition wants the parliament to be granted more power – a key demand for countering the president’s broad authorities under the region’s draft constitution. They are also pushing for the draft constitution to be entirely rewritten, and for the public to elect the parliament speaker.
Without providing details about the negotiations, he said, “There are more reasons to be optimistic.”
In response to the opposition’s demands, the ruling parties drew up their own reform proposals and have asked that the opposition participate in the cabinet, and that the current government stay intact for another two years until new elections are held.
In a television interview, Mala Bakhtiyar, PUK’s representative at the talks, praised the opposition’s proposals but said the ruling parties’ plan “is more comprehensive.” He said the parties are serious about reaching an agreement nearly two months after they began negotiating.
“These talks are not political maneuvers,” he said.
Abdulsattar Majeed, a member of the Kurdistan Islamic Group, said, “The issue of participation in the government could be a negotiable matter if we know that KDP and PUK are serious, that they are intent on making reforms and create a neutral government.”
