Jarjis Gulizada, the number one candidate on Haider al-Abadi’s Victory Alliance list in Erbil, says he is backing the Iraqi prime minister for another term in office because he offers the best chance of bridging the divide between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Region.
Gulizada, a writer and journalist by trade, tells Rudaw reporter Salih Qadir he has lost patience with the main Kurdish parties, and instead hopes to vouch for Kurdish rights directly with Baghdad.
Both sides must stop seeing each other as enemies, he says. Although he supports a united Iraq, Gulizada insists he will never lose sight of his Kurdish identity.
Parliamentary elections are scheduled for May 12. Iraq’s legislature is the unicameral Council of Representatives with 329 seats. According to the constitution, each MP represents 100,000 people.
Rudaw: You are a candidate running on the Victory Alliance list, but campaigning under the name ‘Dr Haider al-Abadi’s list in Erbil’. Can you explain this?
Jarjis Gulizada: The list led by Dr Haider al-Abadi is called Victory. But I don’t campaign here under the name ‘Victory’ for fear that it might be misunderstood, especially nowadays with relations between Erbil and Baghdad being strained following the events of Kirkuk.
Are you heading the list?
No. The lists created in provinces are secondary, according to them. Being number one candidate doesn’t mean being head of the list. Only one person, Dr Haider al-Abadi, heads the list. We are merely candidates. That is why I don’t like to be named as head of the list.
How were you nominated as a candidate? Did you contact them for this, or did they contact you and ask for your candidacy?
I didn’t try it. They asked me for this. Two months ago, the head of Haider al-Abadi’s campaign invited me to go to Baghdad. I am known in Baghdad as a Kurdish writer. My writings serve the interests of both Erbil and Baghdad. I believe their request for my candidacy was only because of this.
Did you have any conditions for registering your candidacy?
It is historically imperative that we are partners in the future 
So, you want to do what Kurdish politicians have been unable to do in Baghdad over the past 14 years, right?
No. Not to this extent. I am just an individual, and don’t have that much power. As a writer, journalist, or political observer, I have my own vision about relations between Erbil and Baghdad. I have tried hard with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), but to no avail. An opportunity has now presented itself, and we want to capitalize on it.
Have you seen Haider al-Abadi himself?
No. We were meant to meet though some time ago. He had to make a sudden visit. We are due to meet in the future though.
What would you tell him if you saw him?
I am sure we can be friends with Abadi if there is such a clear message Is this your opinion, or something you have heard from officials close to Abadi?
This is my understanding of them. There is something that the Kurdish leadership has not given enough attention to, and that is Iraqis as a whole are sensitive to the question of separation. We should take this into consideration. The Iraqi government has been working for 100 years to establish the Kurdistan Region is part of Iraq. That is why we cannot invite the Iraqis in a day to the idea that we too have human and national rights.
Do you believe in the territorial integrity of Iraq?
Yes, I believe in the territorial integrity of Iraq if such integrity accommodates Kurdish interests.
The parties started their campaign a week ago. But your posters cannot be seen in the streets. When will you kick off your election campaigning?
We will commence the campaign in the next few days. It is the first time we are taking part in the election in this area. That is why we want to do a calm campaign and respect peoples’ feelings because there might be people who have misunderstood us.
I believe in the territorial integrity of Iraq if such integrity accommodates Kurdish interests Are you going to sponsor the campaign at your own expense, or Abadi’s?
Nearly 50 days ago, the Alliance sent $4,000 to each candidate to start their campaign.
How were the other candidates picked? Did you choose them?
No, I didn’t. The list for Erbil had 12 people on it. Three of them were not approved because they didn’t meet the commission’s conditions, another one was denied candidacy. None of us were aware the other was also a candidate.
Are the candidates all Kurdish?
No. The list has more Turkmen candidates on it – four Turkmen, three Kurdish and one Arab candidate.
Now that you are a candidate running on Haider al-Abadi’s Victory Alliance list, have you encountered any problems?
No. On the contrary, Erbil’s Asayesh and governorate helped and respected us very much in opening the Alliance’s office in Erbil. I am very grateful to them. Some media outlets speak about us badly. We are not going to wear the Arabs’ Keffiyeh when we go to Baghdad. We will be moving around in Kurdish costume when we go there.
It’s said that you sent your CV to the PUK in order to be picked for candidacy. Why didn’t the PUK pick you as their candidate?
Yes, that is right. It was a long time ago. I sent it at their request for the second term of the Iraqi parliament. Mr Saadi Ahmed Pira invited me and told me that they wanted to appoint me as a general manager in Erbil or register my candidacy for the Iraqi parliamentary election. I sent them my CV at their request. I think they didn’t pick me because of my critical writings.
How are people welcoming your list?
People contact me daily. They like to come to our office and work with us. Many of them ask to be appointed as ballot box observers. Those who know me say they are sure I will serve their interests if I go to Baghdad.
Do you believe you can win votes here?
I don’t believe we can win. We might not win a parliamentary seat if it requires more than 30,000 votes. However, we might win a seat if the threshold is less than this.
