Tonight after final results being announced, I was walking the streets of Sulaymaniya. My heart was filled with joy when I saw Gorran supporters celebrating side by side with Kurdistani List supporters and no conflicts are anywhere to be seen. People in Sulaymaniya are experiencing democracy and freedom for the first time and they are happy. They respect the opinion of each other and understand that we are going to work together as brothers for the people of Kurdistan.
On the other side my heart hurts for the Behdinan. There the KDP celebrate by attacking the opposition parties. Even last night the offices of Gorran and 4partylist were attacked by armed KDP supporters though they had all left two days ago in fear for their lives. The governing parties, the KDP and PUK, have committed a crime against our people in Duhok governate, Behdinan. They have systematically cheated our people of their democratic rights. They have used violence, harrased, threatened, intimidated, bribed, cheated, their own people. Why? When are they going to enjoy the same freedom as their brothers in Sulaymaniya?
The result of the election is unfair due to foul play. The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) have broken everyone of their own rules in Behdinan. Yet, the head of IHEC Farij al-Haidari in his speech today talks about a successful, democratic and transparent election. The IHEC saw the fraud, participated in it, and disregarded our complaints.
We in the Behdinan area will set our hope to our brothers in the other provinces that they will include us in their work building our society and in their achieving a democratic and free Kurdistan.
Idris Sheranshi
Showing posts with label Behdinan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Behdinan. Show all posts
July 29, 2009
July 28, 2009
Gorran from Behdinan left their homes due to death threats
Today Gorran (Change List) held a conference at Gorran headquarter in Sulaymaniya where we discussed recent events, election results and planned for the future.
We also talked to twentyfive of our people from the Behdinan area who have left their homes. They had all received death threats from KDP members and are afraid of being listed on their "death list."
These threats are now been reported to the police and we expect the justice system to deal with them. We have asked them all to return to their homes in Aqrah, Sersink, Khadish and Duhok and put their trust in the legal system to protect them. They have agreed to do that except for Abdul Wahad, parliamentary candidate for Gorran, whose house and family were attacked this sunday. Also Lazgin Zelman was not willing to go back in fear of those who have threatened him.
We also talked to twentyfive of our people from the Behdinan area who have left their homes. They had all received death threats from KDP members and are afraid of being listed on their "death list."
These threats are now been reported to the police and we expect the justice system to deal with them. We have asked them all to return to their homes in Aqrah, Sersink, Khadish and Duhok and put their trust in the legal system to protect them. They have agreed to do that except for Abdul Wahad, parliamentary candidate for Gorran, whose house and family were attacked this sunday. Also Lazgin Zelman was not willing to go back in fear of those who have threatened him.
July 20, 2009
Visit at a poor family in Zakho
During our door-to-door campaign visits we were not invited in by one of the families we had planned to visit. This man have always supported the KDP (Kurdistan Democratic Party) and all his family have been lojal to them. But surprisingly he then called Halima A. Othman, posted on the Change List as no.48, and asked if the Change List would like to come for a visit. So we went to talk to him. He lives with his wife and seven children in a small concrete house with a roof made of mud and with very poor hygienic sanitation facilities. He has been unemployed for several years and struggles hard to support his family. He has no direct connections with the KDP but have tried over and over again to get their help in finding a job. He has applied many times to get a post at the Peshmerga (Kurdish police) in Zakho. He tries to make a living by selling parts for guns but he cannot earn enough to support his family. He is very disappointed in the KRG (the Kurdish Regional Government) and in the KDP for not helping the people in Zakho.
The unemployment rate in Zakho were 4% in 2001 and was the lowest in the Dohuk governate (9%). There are no official statistics for today but we know that the unemployment rate in Zakho has tripled since then. The unemployment rate for the Dohuk governate today is 20%. This is due to the KRG neglecting the whole Behdinan area. There are no strategic plans for reform or social development programs. There are no employment agencies to help our people to find work and many of the job opportunities are filled with imported labour force from Georgia, Pakistan, Sudan, Ethiopia etc.
There are many poor families like this here in the Dohuk governate. And people are disappointed in the KRG. The man we visited said that he hoped now that the Change List really can make a change for families like his and said that he would lay his vote for us in the elections.
Halima A. Othman,
posted on the Change List as no.48
The unemployment rate in Zakho were 4% in 2001 and was the lowest in the Dohuk governate (9%). There are no official statistics for today but we know that the unemployment rate in Zakho has tripled since then. The unemployment rate for the Dohuk governate today is 20%. This is due to the KRG neglecting the whole Behdinan area. There are no strategic plans for reform or social development programs. There are no employment agencies to help our people to find work and many of the job opportunities are filled with imported labour force from Georgia, Pakistan, Sudan, Ethiopia etc.
There are many poor families like this here in the Dohuk governate. And people are disappointed in the KRG. The man we visited said that he hoped now that the Change List really can make a change for families like his and said that he would lay his vote for us in the elections.
Halima A. Othman,
posted on the Change List as no.48
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
