What Barham Salih didn’t do

By Kamal Chomani:

Dr Barham Salih, outgoing KRG PM

In his 13 minute farewell message on Wednesday, April 4, 2012, Dr Barham Salih told us what he did and how he is proud of the simple things he accomplished in the two years of his reign. Meantime, he didn’t tell us about the vital things he didn’t do which were more important than anything.

Dr Barham Ahmed Salih, the former Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister, sequenced the ‘great’ that he did in his two-year term. These are the most important achievements he talked about, in brief:

• We served the families of Anfal and the martyrs. Increasing their salaries, giving them land and building them houses. Increasing the salaries of ex-political prisoners of the former regime.
• KRG-Scholarship program. Human Capacity Development. Opening new universities.
• We were able to decrease nepotism and provide employment on the basis of ability.
• Giving the rural areas funds for building houses, just as urban people have the right to do so.
• We were able to do something to serve Kirkuk, Khanaqin, Makhmur, Sinjar and other disputed areas.
• We could oppose corruption to some extent.
• Economic investment has improved and international investments have reached 18 billion dollars.

In his message, he appeared immensely proud of himself. He didn’t hide his tendency to say: “I am proud of….”, “Our head is high of…” etc…

Are these things worthy of pride? What are the very basic tasks of any government?

Poor Kurds, we should grateful for these things which any government simply should do – or should be its duty to do.

We are not beggars and the rulers are not gods. The rulers are workers for the people. People have given them trust to use their income in a just way for four years. If people are satisfied with their performance, they may give them another four year’s chance to stay on the throne. This is how the rulers should see power.

Why should we be very thankful if a government has done 30 per cent of its duties?

It is my turn to write about what Barham Salih couldn’t do in his two-year term:

• He couldn’t be the Prime Minister of Hawler and Duhok. He was only PM of Slemani or, more clearly, the PUK zone. Still we have two governments in practice although, theoretically, we have a united government.
• Corruption is the devil of the KRG. The KRG cannot survive if they do not adopt very rigid regulations. Can Barham Salih tell us of a single official who has been tried – or quit his position – because of corruption in these two years?
• We have two Peshmerge forces now; a KDP and a PUK Peshmerge force. Barham Salih couldn’t unite them. I myself have no sympathy for KDP and PUK forces. They were the forces who have killed many on either side. While they are under the control of the KDP and PUK, I do not call them national forces.
• We also have two security forces and two Asayish forces, along with two Police forces. The devils of Kurdish society – who have frightened people from speaking out against anything – are Parastn and Zaniyari, the KDP’s and PUK’s so-called intelligence forces.
• Barham Salih couldn’t stop nepotism. It is still the case that people need to have support within one of the two ruling parties in order to get promoted in their jobs.
• Barham Salih was not capable of cutting the budget of the partisan media bodies, which get millions of dollars from the public budget every month.
• Barham Salih was not able to arrest the criminals, neither he was able to stop the violence that the two ruling parties have used since he gained power. The criminals of 17^th February 2011 are walking the streets although the court has issued arrest warrants for them.
• Freedom of speech and human rights violations increased day by day during the last two years. The violations reached a peak during the protests against the un-democratic rule of the two ruling parties last year in Slemani.
• There’s still no transparency in oil contracts. Still we do not know how the contracts have been signed, who gets this money and where this money goes. I just want to remind Barham Salih about when he said that four billion dollars had been put in a bank. Months later, in a parliament session, he said he didn’t know where the money was! Can I ask again: what has happened to this money?
• The two ruling parties have occupied the market and the lands too. Barham Salih, although he claims to be a liberal man, was unable to create a level field for investment without the requirement for affiliation to political figures.
• The free media in Kurdistan has published reports on corruption and violations of human rights and freedom of speech since the day Barham Salih became the PM: but nothing has been investigated so far.
• The problems we had with central government continue. The disputed areas still are not a part of Kurdistan. Article 140 has not been implemented so far. The people of these areas are frustrated by the division of KDP and PUK policies there.
• Barham Salih was not successful in approaching the regional and international countries.
• Can Barham Salih tell us what he has done for Kurdistan’s infrastructure? Can he tell us what the Kurdish peoples’ budget will be if our budget is cut by Baghdad? I know Baghdad cannot do this but – if it happened – what would we have? We are still importing tomatoes and onions from Iran!

Anyway, Dr Barham didn’t talk about many achievements, so I should not talk too much about the things he couldn’t do. In fact, he is a good speaker. His message seemed to be great for those who do not know too much about Kurdistan.

Today, Nechirvan Barzani will become the new Prime Minister. I bet Barzani also cannot do the things that Barham Salih couldn’t do.

For Nechirvan Barzani, he MUST first start reforms. If he starts reform from himself – because he is one of the ‘ten top corrupt’ political figures in Iraq – he can add a few more things to Barham Salih’s so-called achievements.

kamalchomani@gmail.com

Copyright © 2012 Kurdistantribune.com