The KDP/Kurdistani List fear the Change List

The Change List would like to respond to a rumour the KDP (Kurdistan Democratic Party) spreads about us. Or actually they personally confront friends and relatives to our supporters here in Zakho and Dohuk with these statements of "truth" in the warnings and threats they personally present.

According to the KDP we all are agents for Iran, Syria and Turkey. And we are being paid by these countries through Nouri al-Maliki, the Prime Minister of Iraq.

There are no evidence of any of the Change List high officials having connections with these countries. Nashirwan Mustafa cannot travel anywhere, he cannot even step outside his door without being watched by the KDP. Actually we are all being watched by the KDP in evey step we take. We suspect that they want people to turn on us and hurt us or even kill us by trying to undermine the trust people have in us. Or that they will use these accusations as being confirmed when someone of us has been arrested or killed. And if we were paid by anyone, how come we do not own any buildings to set up our campaign offices everywhere? Why do not all posted on the Change List and officials drive luxury cars and live like kings?

According to the KDP is everything we say in public media slander and the only reason for us to do this is to harass or provoke them. Our posters or flags are put up only to taunt them. Obviously the Kurdistani List has no understanding of the democratic framework. They do not know that if these elections should ever be viewed as democratic all sides must be allowed to voice their opinions publicly and without interventions or obstructions. There should be an open dialogue and mutual respect for each other's right to have different opinions and have their own candidates and representatives. The people have the right to hear all sides and then decide independently. But the KDP is doing everything to prevent the Change List from being heard or seen. This attitude explain though why you never see any of our posters or flags anywhere in the Behdinan area. They have been torn down as soon as we have put them up. They must really sting their eyes...

The Kurdistani List are exposing their fear of the Change List. By all the dirty tricks they pull they reveal that they really see the Change List as a threat to them keeping the power. They are showing the people that they are desperate and that they do not have any real arguments to counter with when we accuse them of corruption, nepotism and cronyism. How can you defend that you own everything in Kurdistan when people do not have jobs and food on their table? How can you defend that you and your family use the KRG money as your own and the people does not have electricity, water, roads, schools, hospitals, medicin? No, you cannot. That explains their fear and their exasperated attitude towards the Change List.


Change List flags torn down

Death List by the KDP

Today we are not making the planned campaign trips in Dohuk and Zakho. We need to get more information about the threats we just have received from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP)/Kurdistani List. They are giving us the warning that they have a "Death List" were those who do not respond to their bribes or threats will be posted. The KDP declares that on the 26 of July this list will be made operative.

We cannot let anyone get hurt or let them provoke us into retaliating.We do not approve of using threats and violence in making our message known.The Change List are in fact instructing all supporters not to respond to provocations and violence from Kurdistani List supporters.

More dirty tricks from Kurdistani List

The Kurdistani List will not stop harassing our supporters. One of them who works for us in Zakho appeared on KNN, the TV network of the Change List, voicing his opinions on the KRG's (Kurdish Regional Government) injust treatment of the Behdinan areas. His eldest brother was immediately called from Dohuk to Zakho to meet with The Kurdistani List. They told him that his brother because of his links with the Change List now stands alone. They wanted him to understand that his brother now was at risk for anything (violence, accidents, murder...). So if he had any influence on his brother he should ask him to renounce his support for the Change List.

The Kurdistani List also puts in strong effort to spread the word that it is risky on the election day to vote for the Change List. There will be hiddden cameras monitoring even though you vote behind curtains. Also it will be meaningless to vote for the Change List because the votes will not be counted anyway.

The Change List are trying to assure the people that their vote is not dangerous or meaningless. We put our trust in the independent observers and media that will be present during the election process. We hope that EU and USA will help the kurdish people experience a fair election. But we understand the fear of the Behdinan people. Threats, arrests without reason, no trials, torture, murder is what we have been used to see all our lives...