Despite Setbacks, Iran’s Kurdish Factions Take Steps Toward Reunification
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Following years of internal conflicts and subsequent divisions, the two main Kurdish political parties of Iranian Kurdistan, are taking important steps at reunification.
The Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) and its breakaway Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) have made progress in stabilizing relations after splitting in 2007. However, no date for reunification has been set, as negotiations came to a halt earlier this year.
Both factions have presented different plans for a possible reunification, but so far have shown little success, rejecting earlier proposals put forward by the opposing side.
The two factions initially decided not to publicize the details of their agreements. KDP, however, went public with its proposal and said it had been expecting an answer from KDPI for months. The KDPI also has not come forward with a proposal of its own, KDP said.
KDPI has not commented on the latest news, but according to Sidiq Darweshi, a senior member, the two factions should adopt the proposals sanctioned in the party’s 13th convention.
According to the KDP scheme, the two factions should come together and set a date for the coming convention, which would be the party’s 16th. The next steps would be to decide on a new name for the unified party, and subsequently merge all economic, military and media capabilities.
Darweshi says the KDPI rejects these proposals and instead requests a merger before the convention. Moreover, on the subject of the party’s official history and achievements, they will be documented as the KDPI’s collective history.
Mustafa Hijri, the KDPI leader, had previously opposed a publication of the details of the agreements.
Meanwhile, both Komala parties have made progress in the reunification process. The two parties, which split in 2007, have had frequent negotiations over the last year. The two factions have said they had reached an agreement on strategic and political issues and would shortly find a common path to regroup the unified party.
The restructuring of the party will reportedly go ahead as soon as leaders of the two parties, Abdullah Muhtadi and Omar Ilkhanizada, return after a trip abroad. The two Komala factions are hopeful that the renification would be completed in August this year.