SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region – The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) has announced its blueprint to break the region’s year-long political standoff and fix the crippling financial crisis as Erbil has recently stepped up and broadened its endeavors for independence with the end of its war on ISIS in sight.
The core of the comprehensive roadmap prepared by the party’s politburo concerns the PUK’s new vision for relations with other Kurdish political parties, the Kurdistan Region’s political impasse and financial crisis, and the question of a referendum on Kurdish independence.
Recognizing the importance of the relationship between its party and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the PUK said the relations should be renewed and developed. “There should be realistic and practical partnership on the basis of new balance,” reads the PUK document.
PUK-KDP relations are also relevant to relations between the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad, “hence, speeding up to settle the problems [between Erbil and Baghdad] helps strengthen the relations between the PUK and KDP.”
The PUK also remains open to the possibility of reunification with Gorran (the Change Movement).
With respect to international relations, the PUK noted Russia is gaining influence in Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran, as well as in Kurdistan, at the same time that a new administration has come into power in the US.
“We believe that it is in the interests of the Kurdistan Region to balance regional relations. We should protect our borders. Having friendly, political and economic relations with the outside world is very important. Parties who supported us and were friends with us at the time of Saddam and after he was toppled, shall have more of our political, diplomatic and economic attention,” the statement reads, noting that it is vital to resolve internal problems in order to be prepared for global developments.
A first step to resolving internal problems is “making complete changes in presidency positions.”
In order to find a candidate to replace President Masoud Barzani, as he has called for, the PUK proposes that the parties reach a majority agreement on a candidate, and form a leadership committee in order to make decisions until elections can be held.
They also call for changes to the key leadership positions, saying presidential positions should be distributed among the parties.
Economically, the PUK argues that low oil and gas prices are not the sole cause of the Region’s financial crisis.
“It springs from a backward governance system, from the lack of a contemporary economic system, and an advanced banking system,” the party’s proposal states, calling for the establishment of a contemporary economic infrastructure.
Without an advanced governance system, the PUK stated, the oil and gas industry will become a source of problems, rather than prosperity. The party called for increased transparency and new legislation to address the industry, but noted that the problem cannot truly be resolved “without the implementation of Article 140, as most of Kurdistan’s natural resources are located in disputed areas.”
Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution addresses areas disputed by the Kurdistan Region and the central government, including oil-rich Kirkuk.
The PUK also suggests exporting oil through new channels, such as Iran.
As part of the government modernization, the PUK called for opening up competitive and free markets, restructuring the judiciary in order to make the court system completely independent, transferring executive and financial powers to local government forces, and developing the Ministry of Peshmerga through fair arming of all forces.
The party noted that public employees have been put under economic pressure with the reduction of their salaries as part of the government’s austerity measures. “A law should be passed to ensure that the amount being reduced from the KRG employees will be saved somewhere so that employees can be reassured that the amount reduced will be given back to them at a later time,” the party stated.
In order to achieve independence, with the PUK described as a democratic right and “national duty,” the party calls for the establishment of a timeline to implement Article 140, noting Baghdad has delayed acting on the constitutional provision for nine years.
The PUK suggests holding a referendum under the supervision of the UN or other international bodies or simultaneously with the next general elections, due to be held this year.
First, however, the Kurdistan Region must resolve its internal political problems, stating that if the parties failed to put the Kurdish house in order, this will be “harmful to the implementation of article 140, referendum, and independence.”
The core of the comprehensive roadmap prepared by the party’s politburo concerns the PUK’s new vision for relations with other Kurdish political parties, the Kurdistan Region’s political impasse and financial crisis, and the question of a referendum on Kurdish independence.
Recognizing the importance of the relationship between its party and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the PUK said the relations should be renewed and developed. “There should be realistic and practical partnership on the basis of new balance,” reads the PUK document.
PUK-KDP relations are also relevant to relations between the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad, “hence, speeding up to settle the problems [between Erbil and Baghdad] helps strengthen the relations between the PUK and KDP.”
The PUK also remains open to the possibility of reunification with Gorran (the Change Movement).
With respect to international relations, the PUK noted Russia is gaining influence in Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran, as well as in Kurdistan, at the same time that a new administration has come into power in the US.
“We believe that it is in the interests of the Kurdistan Region to balance regional relations. We should protect our borders. Having friendly, political and economic relations with the outside world is very important. Parties who supported us and were friends with us at the time of Saddam and after he was toppled, shall have more of our political, diplomatic and economic attention,” the statement reads, noting that it is vital to resolve internal problems in order to be prepared for global developments.
A first step to resolving internal problems is “making complete changes in presidency positions.”
In order to find a candidate to replace President Masoud Barzani, as he has called for, the PUK proposes that the parties reach a majority agreement on a candidate, and form a leadership committee in order to make decisions until elections can be held.
They also call for changes to the key leadership positions, saying presidential positions should be distributed among the parties.
Economically, the PUK argues that low oil and gas prices are not the sole cause of the Region’s financial crisis.
“It springs from a backward governance system, from the lack of a contemporary economic system, and an advanced banking system,” the party’s proposal states, calling for the establishment of a contemporary economic infrastructure.
Without an advanced governance system, the PUK stated, the oil and gas industry will become a source of problems, rather than prosperity. The party called for increased transparency and new legislation to address the industry, but noted that the problem cannot truly be resolved “without the implementation of Article 140, as most of Kurdistan’s natural resources are located in disputed areas.”
Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution addresses areas disputed by the Kurdistan Region and the central government, including oil-rich Kirkuk.
The PUK also suggests exporting oil through new channels, such as Iran.
As part of the government modernization, the PUK called for opening up competitive and free markets, restructuring the judiciary in order to make the court system completely independent, transferring executive and financial powers to local government forces, and developing the Ministry of Peshmerga through fair arming of all forces.
The party noted that public employees have been put under economic pressure with the reduction of their salaries as part of the government’s austerity measures. “A law should be passed to ensure that the amount being reduced from the KRG employees will be saved somewhere so that employees can be reassured that the amount reduced will be given back to them at a later time,” the party stated.
In order to achieve independence, with the PUK described as a democratic right and “national duty,” the party calls for the establishment of a timeline to implement Article 140, noting Baghdad has delayed acting on the constitutional provision for nine years.
The PUK suggests holding a referendum under the supervision of the UN or other international bodies or simultaneously with the next general elections, due to be held this year.
First, however, the Kurdistan Region must resolve its internal political problems, stating that if the parties failed to put the Kurdish house in order, this will be “harmful to the implementation of article 140, referendum, and independence.”
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