By FAZIL NAJIB
It is said that the people of Kurdistan in general are the winners of this month’s parliamentary elections. But for several reasons it is Nawshirwan Mustafa, leader of the Change Movement (Gorran), who is the true winner.
Firstly, he was not in the government to hand out privileges and money, yet he managed to keep his supporters around him for the past four years, and indeed increase their numbers. That is not an easy task in a place like Kurdistan -- and the Middle East -- in general, where the majority dances to the government’s tune.
In addition, Mustafa was true to his word when he said that his movement would work to produce a young generation of politicians to run the affairs of Kurdistan. All parties said the same thing, but it was Mustafa who actually did it.
Also, Mustafa shattered the notion that politics and fame were only for the sons of politicians. He elevated to the front Ali Hama Salih, a young man who has singlehandedly won more votes than any other candidate in all of Kurdistan. Salih hails from an average family, with no political background whatsoever.
Mustafa spoke of people’s political, economic and legal rights in such plain language that everyone could understand. That made it difficult for other parties to fool people any longer. He was also the man who told people that the government was not an impenetrable fortress to be feared; he portrayed the government as a mud house that could be shattered by the people.
The Gorran leader had a number of options with which to confront the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), but he chose the ballot box. The other two parties have never shied away from using force, intimidation and sacking opponents. Though he may sometimes get agitated, Mustafa approaches his plans and strategies with a deep breath.
Finally, Mustafa laid the foundation of an active opposition that may not be shaken for another 50 years. He drew a clear line between the government and the opposition. What he did was a great service to Kurdistan and its political and democratic process.
For the abovementioned reasons I believe Mustafa is the winner of the elections, no matter how many seats his movement may get in the end. He should also keep in mind that if Gorran joins the government, the glass of trust he holds is liable to break faster than anyone else’s.
