SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region — Four major Kurdish parties, the Kurdistan Islamic Group (Komal), the Change Movement (Gorran), the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), are planning to hold their party congresses in 2019, amid internal and external divisions.
“All of the PUK wants the congress to be held, but there are different opinions concerning the mechanism that will be used — the preparations and the method for how the members of the congress will be selected,” a PUK source who agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity told Rudaw.
He added that a “prior agreement” is necessary to prevent “an internal rift and some getting upset."
The PUK has been aiming to hold a party congress since 2018, but has failed to because of internal rivalries. Winning 21 seats in the Kurdistan Region parliamentary election last year, it regained its spot as the second-largest Kurdistani party.
The PUK’s last congress, held in 2010 included its secretary-general, co-founder, and former Iraqi president, Jalal Talabani.
A unifying force, Talabani was able to hold different camps within his party together. After suffering a stroke in 2012, Talabani's role and influence over the party greatly reduced.
Without the cohesion from Talabani, the party split into three: Talabani’s family and supporters; a wing led by Kosrat Rasul Ali, the current acting head of the party; and Barham Salih, the current president of Iraq.
These divisions have become more pronounced with Jalal Talabani's death in October 2017.
Meanwhile Gorran which is the third-largest in the Kurdistan Region is still waiting for the new government to form, before setting a date for its congress, Shwnas Sherko, a member of Gorran’s Diplomatic Office, told Rudaw.
“We are also yet to determine whether to have the national conference first or internal elections,” Sherko added.
Gorran’s national conference is the equivalent of a party congress, and will set the party’s policies for the upcoming four years and can amend the internal constitution of the party. However, Gorran’s leadership is decided through internal elections rather than a vote from the party base, as other parties do.
A member of Gorran’s Diplomatic Relations Office said the party was waiting for the formation of the next Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) before they hold their National Assembly.
Gorran briefly took part in the previous KRG cabinets. However, the KDP prevented Gorran’s ministers from returning to Erbil after disputes between the two parties, leading to resignations from Gorran’s ministers, MPs, and the speaker of parliament.
It has since announced in a deal with the KDP that it will join the new KRG, striking a more reconciliatory voice, but still insisting on its reformist program.
There has however, been a renewed string of resignations in Gorran, due to Nawshirwan Mustafa’s sons’ perceived control of the party, and silence of the KDP’s dominant policies.
Komal, the fifth largest party by seats in the Kurdistan Region, has also seen leadership members resigning, citing “monopolization” of authority and unfairness in the party.
A Komal official told Rudaw that there is internal agreement developing in the party to hold the congress before the end of 2019.
“Internal conditions are important to us. If internal conditions are suitable, we will hold the congress,” said Zana Rostayi, a Komal member and former MP in the Iraqi parliament.
The KDP, the largest party in the Region with 45 seats in the parliament, is expected to hold its 14th congress this year.
The KDP held its last congress in December 2010. Party leaders have attributed the gap between the 13th and 14th congresses to a string of events, including the fight against ISIS, the Kurdistan Region’s referendum on independence, and the loss of territories to Iraq thereafter.
Nouri Hama Ali, a leadership member of KDP, told Rudaw that the leadership of KDP has recently discussed the topic of congress.
“If the conditions of the region don’t deteriorate and things remain as calm as they are, we will hold the congress without a doubt,” Ali said.
KDP among all the parties seems to have the most united leadership, with members declaring loyalty to Masoud Barzani, the party's president, and denying any rumours of party divisions.
The talk of party congresses comes as the Region inaugurates a new president and is set to form a new government in the upcoming weeks.
