McGurk expected in Sulaimani to persuade parties to participate in Baghdad
Rudaw learned that preventing a boycott by the Change Movement (Gorran), Coalition for Democracy and Justice (CDJ), New Generation, Islamic Group (Komal), and Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) in the Iraqi political process is at the top of his agenda during a visit on Monday or Tuesday.
Abdulrazaq Sharif, a member of the Gorran (the Change Movement) National Assembly, told Rudaw that they their party’s management will decide about their participation in Iraqi political process, not Americans and Iranians.
“The Change Movement has much experience to prove that Americans and Iranians will never have impact on their decisions. Only the movement’s National Assembly can decide whether to boycott the Iraqi political process or not,” he told Rudaw.
Sharif recounted in 2015 when “Americans and McGurk, himself, tried to make the parliament speaker, who was a Gorran [member], postpone the parliament meeting for three days, but he did not.”
He also said that Americans, Brits and Iranians had asked Gorran to push Yousef Mohammed, then speaker of Kurdistan's parliament, to return to the parliament after he was barred from entering Erbil.
However, Sharif said that they will welcome the US official and listen to what he has to say.
In addition to Gorran, the KIU, CDJ, Komal, Communist Party and Socialist Party have also rejected the final election results and claiming fraud.
Aram Hama Mina, a member of CDJ’s management council, told Rudaw that not only McGurk, but other officials and diplomats will visit Sulaimani as well.
“But let’s see what is inside McGurk’s agenda for these six parties. If he asks the parties to participate in the political process in return for a seat or two, then these forces should not accept this and ignore the stealing of the votes of their voters.”
Both the United States and Iran have vested interests in the future of Iraq. McGurk was appointed as the US Special Presidential Envoy to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS under previous president Barack Obama. With few SPEs, McGurk has tremendous say on the Iraq portfolio. He has already made post-election trips to Baghdad, Erbil, and Sulaimani.
Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s Quds Force, also has been in Iraq after the election. With Iraq’s fragmented Sunni political scene, Soleimani may look to consolidate electoral success by Shiite-led lists, which took the four top spots.
Mina explained that Gorran will decline to accept posts in Baghdad merely in return for their participation in Iraqi politics, insisting that their demands must be met: a re-do of the election or a boycott of the political process.
He warned that if any of the dissenting parties compromise “their popular support will be harmed” and that will be a source of “disappointment” for supporters who will lose faith in the process.
The dissenting parties have met 10 times in Sulaimani and Erbil, but have postponed their meetings until the process of filing complaints is complete on Tuesday. If the responses to their complaints are not in their favor, each party will have their internal meeting.
A Gorran official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told Rudaw that the party may take another approach.
“What the majority demands does not have to be necessarily implemented. If we find out that boycotting and its outcomes will not be in the interest of the movement, we may choose another approach,” the official told Rudaw.
Showan Rabar, the head of Komal’s Leadership Council, told Rudaw that if McGurk has an alternative and solution to persuade Komal and other parties, then all parties will work together on it.
The dissenting parties’ complaints center on the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s electoral success in its historical strongholds of Sulaimani and Kirkuk provinces. In all provinces, the PUK won 18 seats, Gorran 5, New Generation 4, Komal 2, CDJ 2, and KIU 2.