SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region — Kurdistan Democratic Party deputy head Nechirvan Barzani has gone to Sulaimani on Friday to rally support ahead of Iraq’s parliamentary election.
"Welcome all. I thank you very much for being patient under this rain for a long time now," said Barzani. "You have come from all places. All of you, welcome."
Barzani said the KDP is "indebted to Sulaimani with our souls," noting that Sulaimani sheltered his grandfather, Mullah Mustafa Barzani allowing them to escape back to Barzan and ignite the Kurdish revolution.
He reiterated his party’s campaign message of protecting Kurdish rights and building relations.
“We want to work for the calm of Iraq and the entire region because the interests of Kurdistan are in peace, rather than in war and insecurity,” he told supporters.
Hinting at rifts between people within Kurdistan that were accentuated after the independence referendum, Barzani called for “unity and joint meetings.”
His call for unity is not just within Kurdistan but with Iraq as well, saying the KDP would initiate talks with the winning parties after the vote.
“The situation in Iraq is difficult. For the sake of the interests of the people of Kurdistan and Iraq as a whole, we should be united in Iraq,” he said.
It rained in the city on Friday, but supporters turned out in droves, waving yellow KDP flags.
"Mr. Nechirvan Barzani, the deputy head of our KDP and a delegation of the politburo will honors us with their visit, to give a speech to KDP supporters in Sulaimani and all over the Kurdistan," Dana Jaza, a KDP candidate in Sulaimani told Rudaw.
He added that they expect their votes to increase greatly as KDP is a party with a national strategy and vision.
"Based on the political equation in Sulaimani, those entities which have split [from PUK and other parties] won't have an effect on KDP votes. Generally in Sulaimani and elsewhere, we have a stable base. We have always been able to preserve our votes. The competition will be between the others," Jaza said.
KDP has chosen to lead a largely very silent election campaign, arguing that they will eventually have to work together alongside the other Kurdish parties, so they want to keep an understanding and abstain from insulting and smearing.
Jaza denied there are plans for Barzani to visit Halabja, but that KDP Halabja supporters will participate in the Sulaimani event.
"Based on the political equation in Sulaimani, those entities which have split [from PUK and other parties] won't have an effect on KDP votes. Generally in Sulaimani and elsewhere, we have a stable base. We have always been able to preserve our votes. The competition will be between the others," Jaza said.
KDP has chosen to lead a largely very silent election campaign, arguing that they will eventually have to work together alongside the other Kurdish parties, so they want to keep an understanding and abstain from insulting and smearing.
The KDP is boycotting elections in Kirkuk, calling it occupied and saying they won’t give legitimacy to the situation.
Jaza denied there are plans for Barzani to visit Halabja, but that KDP Halabja supporters will participate in the Sulaimani event.
Updated at 10:33 pm
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment