Iraqi Kurdistan situation reached a point like Sudan, Algeria: New Generation
The New Generation Movement (Newey Nwe), Sulaimani, Iraqi Kurdistan, 2019. Photo: Shaswar’s FB
SULAIMANI, Iraq’s Kurdistan region,— The New Generation Movement said on Thursday that the situation in Iraqi Kurdistan Region, which has been governed by a ruling duopoly for the last 28 years, has reached a point where people take will begin taking to the streets like in Sudan and Algeria.
The Movement released a statement about the momentous developments in Sudan by saying that the Sudanese army’s decision to remove Omar al-Bashir from power came after several months of demonstrations by the country’s people against the regime, which had been in power for 30 years.
“What happened today in Sudan is proof that if an oppressor stays in power long enough by using suppressive and monopolizing behaviors and uses its control of the army and security forces to keep himself in power, those forces will finally either join the nation, as in Sudan, or become unbiased and won’t defend the oppressor, as in Algeria,” the statement read.
“The New Generation Movement [Newey Nwê] believes the examples in Algeria and Sudan are correct for the situation in Kurdistan because two families have controlled power for 28 years in Kurdistan like in both countries. They did not commit to the basic principles of democracy and ways of governing.”
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir was deposed by the army on Thursday and consultations were under way to form a transitional council to run the country, drawing a line under three decades of autocratic power that included allegations of genocide.
The downfall of Bashir follows the toppling this month of Algerian strongman Abdelaziz Bouteflika, also following mass protests after three decades in power.
Need to be mentioned that from February 2011, till middle April 2011, thousands of protesters gathered daily in Sulaimani city and other parts of Kurdistan against corruption and the lording over Kurdistan region by two main parties Barzani’s KDP and Talabani’s PUK. Kurdish protesters demand the ouster of Kurdistan president Massoud Barzani and the local Kurdistan government KRG, calling for improving services and living conditions and fighting corruption.
Most of the demonstrators opposed Massoud Barzani, and the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party KDP. Ten people were killed and more than 700 others wounded and 220 more have been arrested in clashes between demonstrators and Kurdish security forces during a wave or protests that swept Sulaimaniyah. The Kurdish security forces (Asayish) arrested and tortured a lot of activists and journalists.
After 62 days of protests, the Governorate of of Sulaimani has banned unlicensed demonstrations in the city. Heavy Kurdish forces deployed in Sulaimani city to prevent any demonstrations, and occupied the city center and other parts of Sulaimani. The Security Committee in Sulaimaniyah banned on April 18 all sorts of protests.
Massoud Barzani and his relatives control a large number of commercial enterprises in Kurdistan-Iraq, with a gross value of several billion US dollars. The family is routinely accused of corruption and nepotism by Kurdish media as well as international observers.
Copyright © 2019, respective author or news agency, Ekurd.net | nrttv.com
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