Political Platform of the Change List

The Change List is a political entity that consists of a group of people sharing a common political agenda, and through fair competition for power and free democratic elections, seeking the trust of the people and to represent them in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region’s Parliament as well as in other representative bodies throughout Iraq and Kurdistan region, with the aim of implementing the List’s agenda through government institutions. The objectives of the entity are summarised in the following themes:

On the political and legal arena:

• Redraft the Kurdistan Region’s draft constitution that through decentralised and devolved powers ensures more rights and safeguard freedoms within the framework of a parliamentary democracy;

• Support the rule of law and enhance the principle of separation of the Legislative, the Executive and the Judiciary authorities while consolidating the independence of the judiciary;

• Activate the accountability role of Parliament to ensure the effective monitoring of government performance and withdrawing confidence from government officials when necessary;

• Defining the influence of the political parties and limiting their activities as political organizations that commands no militias, private secret services or business monopolies; recognising that parties have the duty to form cabinets and execute their programs, but they have no right to monopolise public funds, abuse public offices for party political gains, or resort to bribery and corruption, nor do they have a right to intimidate or discriminate against the citizens;

• Enhance the political, administrative and community roles of women and the youth in all spheres of life;

• Enhance and reform the Security Organisations in a direction that serves the rule of law and prevents violations of Human Rights and refrain from partisanship and narrow political or local bias;

• Demarcate the geographical boundaries of the Kurdistan Region, define the authorities that lies between the central government in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Region, and respect the supreme authorities of the federal government, resolve the outstanding issues between the two sides concerning the rights of Kurdish people and the status of the disputed territories with regard to the historic facts and according to the relevant articles of the Iraqi Constitution;

• Combat fanaticism, terrorism and extremism, and outlaw any discrimination against citizens on the basis of religion, ethnicity, ideology, gender, political affiliation or social standing.

On economic and administrative reforms:

• Ensuring the transparent disclosure of the Kurdistan Region’s budget by identifying the sources and details of the funds as well as the way funds are allocated to various sectors and provinces;

• Revitalize the government efficiency through streamlining government institutions and harnessing information technology to ensure more active administration;

• Salvage the economy and protect public wealth from abuse and corruption. Encouraging investment and improving productivity in the agricultural sector, enhancing the industrial base and animal husbandry;

• Draw up strategic plans to reform and modernize Education and Health Services;

• Hone plans for strategic construction projects in housing, electricity supplies, roads, railways, oil, gas, water, sewerage, dams and bridges;

On social justice and human development:

• Take action to address the crisis of poverty and unemployment within the society allocating 5% of the Region’s budget to this goal;

• Invest in the new generation to develop their physical, intellectual and technical abilities. Invest the sports sector and create job opportunities for young people in the private, public and voluntary sectors;

• Establish equitable healthcare and social security and pension systems for the population and citizens working in the private sector, as well as those affected by wars or by social, political, economic and health problems;

• Maintain a fair distribution in the reconstruction and development of Kurdistan provinces. Address the problem of inferior services in rural areas, residential compounds and remote areas, with prioritising the areas that sustain damage or contain natural wealth;

• Introduce reforms to rectify the injustices occurred in the Salary Scale, pensions, allowances and privileges. Setting up a maximum limit for the special privileges enjoyed by top government officials and their entourage, with the aim to establish greater social justice;

• Combat all forms of physical and psychological violence and discrimination against children, women, individuals with special needs, the elderly, the disabled and the marginalized segments of the community.

• Provide job opportunities and conductive work environment for business people, professionals, freelancers, workers, farmers and other productive segments of the community;

On civil, cultural and environmental domains:

• Support and encourage cultural, artistic and free media activities. Protect and restore ancient monuments and historical sites;

• Develop a culture of free, critical thinking and promote freedom of the media so as to ensure free access to information, unhindered by legal obstacles and unaffected by partisanship or political pressures.

• Protect civil society organizations, trade unions and non-governmental organizations from undue pressures;

• Protect the environment and promote the culture of environmental preservation to help tackling the risks of pollution in Kurdistan Region as well as global warming as a universal crisis;

• Protect natural forests, trees and wild life; and expand the green areas. Revitalize and modernize the tourist sector.