Six of our supporters informed us today at the Change List that they had been openly threatened by Fahmi Selman, leader of Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) section 18, Sersink. Three of them wanted us to tell the story and publish their names. Sobhi Hassan Mustafa, known as Sobhi Boti, Lazgin Selman and Mohammed Saleh from Khadish, Sersink, stated that Fahmi Selman told them to renounce their support for the Change List. If they did not, they should expect an unpleasent visit by the KDP the 26 of July. He also promised Sobhi Boti a "special treatment".
Sobhi, Lazgin and Mohammed declare that "no threats can make us stop supporting the Change List. We will continue to be envolved in the campaign". They were upset and indignant over the threats but wanted everyone to know that they would not give in for any threats.
July 18, 2009
July 17, 2009
Low-key Change List campaigning
The Change List have no other option than to act low-key and continue to spread its message in a very quiet way. To receive a permit for a public meeting is out of the question, our posters are being torn down, and people are afraid to approach our campaign office. Halima A. Othman, Senior Architect Engineer, Duhok, listed on the Change List and Idris Sheranshi, campaign manager and coordinator for the Change List in Zakho, are trying to keep the election campaign going on despite the obstructions of the Kurdistani List.
Yesterday we spent the whole day paying villages and other areas around Zakho a visit and talked to people door-to-door.
People were mainly positive to our arguments but were reluctant to say anything about their voting preferences openly. The fear for consequences is widely spread among the people. All we could do is to tell people to follow their hearts and their conscience on election day.
As we see it here in the Behdinan areas is that although we have our difficulties in campaigning freely we are full of hope. The Kurdistani List are actually doing most of the campaigning for the Change List. They are showing the people that we are right in what we say about them.
Idris Sheranshi and Halima A. Othman
Idris Sheranshi
Yesterday we spent the whole day paying villages and other areas around Zakho a visit and talked to people door-to-door.
People were mainly positive to our arguments but were reluctant to say anything about their voting preferences openly. The fear for consequences is widely spread among the people. All we could do is to tell people to follow their hearts and their conscience on election day.
As we see it here in the Behdinan areas is that although we have our difficulties in campaigning freely we are full of hope. The Kurdistani List are actually doing most of the campaigning for the Change List. They are showing the people that we are right in what we say about them.
Idris Sheranshi and Halima A. Othman
Idris Sheranshi
Will Change List voters burn in hell?
In Zakho the Kurdistan Democratic Party has a firm grip on influential people.Today, Friday, the religious council head Mullah Ahmed Shernaki had an unusual message in his sermon. He told the several hundreds of listeners at the Haji Ibrahim mosque that he who lays his vote for others than the Kurdistani List on the election day are devils and will burn in hell. Mullah Ahmed Shernaki has clearly been rewarded in advance for these words. Anyone who is not blind can see his new Land Cruiser Prado on the streets...
Sad to say, this makes it clear that a fair election process in the Behdinan areas is not possible. Bribes, threats, harassment, obstruction, persecution, spreading of false information, namecalling, provocations to conflict, police brutality et cetera is not enough for the Kurdistani List. Now they use the name of Allah to scare people into submission.
Sad to say, this makes it clear that a fair election process in the Behdinan areas is not possible. Bribes, threats, harassment, obstruction, persecution, spreading of false information, namecalling, provocations to conflict, police brutality et cetera is not enough for the Kurdistani List. Now they use the name of Allah to scare people into submission.
July 16, 2009
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...
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...
July 15, 2009
Dirty tricks in the Kurdish Election
The Change List here in the Behdinan areas, Duhok and Zakho, are not experiencing that people are feeling the same kind of excitement over the election as in Sulemaniya. People here are afraid. The Change List will not accept that people get hurt or loose their livelihoods in showing us their support. We are forced to work in diffrent ways. Instead of normal election campaigning our work is focused on spreading our message in a more quiet way than rallies and direct konfrontation with the Kurdistani List supporters.
The Change List are also trying to avoid being provoked by the Kurdistani List. We see that the Kurdistani List are using every dirty trick in the book. Not only are they trying to threat or bribe our supporters, they also are following us around, "spying" on us to see what we are up to and who are speaking to us. Another dirty trick is to provoke us in to making mistakes. When tomato throwing children were sent out to attack our caravan of cars July 13 large numbers of police were also waiting there for us. We have heard from a reliable source that the police were waiting for us to be provoked by these children. They were hoping that some of us should have jumped out of our cars. And they would have had us arrested on the spot.
But people are also getting angry now. The provocations of the Kurdistani List are not invisible for the people on the streets. When the Kurdistani List are trying to stop the Change List from campaigning in every way they can, they probably are digging their own graves...
The Change List are also trying to avoid being provoked by the Kurdistani List. We see that the Kurdistani List are using every dirty trick in the book. Not only are they trying to threat or bribe our supporters, they also are following us around, "spying" on us to see what we are up to and who are speaking to us. Another dirty trick is to provoke us in to making mistakes. When tomato throwing children were sent out to attack our caravan of cars July 13 large numbers of police were also waiting there for us. We have heard from a reliable source that the police were waiting for us to be provoked by these children. They were hoping that some of us should have jumped out of our cars. And they would have had us arrested on the spot.
But people are also getting angry now. The provocations of the Kurdistani List are not invisible for the people on the streets. When the Kurdistani List are trying to stop the Change List from campaigning in every way they can, they probably are digging their own graves...
Disillusioned people in kurdish elections
We in the Change List want to plead to the people not to loose their hope. During our campaigning here in the Behdinan areas we notice the bitterness and disillusion of the people. It seems as some of them have lost all hope for the future. Many see the Kurdistan Regional Government as just a new form of dictatorship. People tell us at the Change List that it is useless to try to work for a change. Also people express that they are afraid to voice their opinions and that they are not willing to put their family at risk. They are afraid of consequences like loosing their jobs.
But we in the Change List know that our people in their hearts are brave and proud. We know that our people have come through all our hardships with our souls intact and kurdish spirit unchanged. The Change List would like to address the people with this humble plea: Please use your vote.Which list is to get your vote is just between you and God.
The Change List aim at going through our campaign and the election without violence and dirty tricks. We strive for mutual respect and dialogue with our opponents. Let us show the world that the kurdish people are able to hold an election which is open, transparent and democratic.
But we in the Change List know that our people in their hearts are brave and proud. We know that our people have come through all our hardships with our souls intact and kurdish spirit unchanged. The Change List would like to address the people with this humble plea: Please use your vote.Which list is to get your vote is just between you and God.
The Change List aim at going through our campaign and the election without violence and dirty tricks. We strive for mutual respect and dialogue with our opponents. Let us show the world that the kurdish people are able to hold an election which is open, transparent and democratic.
July 14, 2009
Political platform for the Change List
For those who are interested - the political platform of the Change List can be found here: http://www.gorran.org/Content.aspx?LinkID=9&Action=3
Obstacles in campaigning for the Change List
The Change List are really experiencing how the Kurdistani List parties (KDP/PUK) in every way are trying to hinder our election campaign. For example, when the Change List are trying to open up a campaign office the owner of the facilities receives threats and we are forced out. A couple of weeks ago we moved into a buliding. But as soon as we put our flags and posters up we were asked to move out again. The owner and his family had received death threats and were too afraid to let us stay.
So we searched for another place. And again when we had moved in and put our flags up the owner told us about threats he had received. The threats were not directed to him directly but to his relatives who then pleaded him to not let the Change List use his buildning. We in the Change List will not let any threats stop us but we cannot let people who are afraid take any consequences. So now on our third try we were about to move in to our new campaign office yesterday. But again the owner came to us and told us about how his family and relatives had received threats and that he is too afraid to let us have our office in his building.
The Kurdistani List does not have these problems. They use municipal buildings for their campaign although this is not allowed. Also, all posters that the Change List are putting up are within half an hour torn down. Usually children are used for this task...
Children were also used yesterday in attacking us. We planned a drive through Zakho in our cars plastered with Gorran posters and flags. But we heard that children with tomatoes were placed on the streets waiting for us. So instead of driving through the main streets in the city we took other roads. The caravan of cars managed to avoid the tomatoes but were attacked by stones. The children were deliberately brought along in their cars to execute their dirty work.The police were just standing by - watching.
So we searched for another place. And again when we had moved in and put our flags up the owner told us about threats he had received. The threats were not directed to him directly but to his relatives who then pleaded him to not let the Change List use his buildning. We in the Change List will not let any threats stop us but we cannot let people who are afraid take any consequences. So now on our third try we were about to move in to our new campaign office yesterday. But again the owner came to us and told us about how his family and relatives had received threats and that he is too afraid to let us have our office in his building.
The Kurdistani List does not have these problems. They use municipal buildings for their campaign although this is not allowed. Also, all posters that the Change List are putting up are within half an hour torn down. Usually children are used for this task...
Children were also used yesterday in attacking us. We planned a drive through Zakho in our cars plastered with Gorran posters and flags. But we heard that children with tomatoes were placed on the streets waiting for us. So instead of driving through the main streets in the city we took other roads. The caravan of cars managed to avoid the tomatoes but were attacked by stones. The children were deliberately brought along in their cars to execute their dirty work.The police were just standing by - watching.
Kurdish elections and the Change list
We are starting this blog to give you reports on the kurdish elections from Zakho. We are writing to give you small reports on what is going on the streets and what people are talking about. We will also report on what the Change List is having on their agenda for the day and on the obstacles they accounter.
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