Shalaw Ali Askari: One KDP Side Disrupts PUK-KDP Relations

Interviews 11:28 AM - 2023-08-15

Shalaw Ali Askari.

An Executive of the Political Bureau of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), says that the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) has two different sides one of which is working to disrupt the relations between the PUK and the KDP.

Shalaw Ali Askari, Executive of the PUK Political Bureau, said in an interview with the VOA Kurdish that there is a direction within the KDP that is working to destroy relations between the PUK and the KDP and that there are two different fronts within the party.

 

KDP has a program to destroy the relations

Askari stated the KDP had agreed with the parties in Baghdad on forming the Iraqi government, so that it could represent the Kurds in Iraq alone and that the PUK wanted to go to Baghdad united with the other Kurdish parties.

He added that both the PUK and the KDP agreed to be united in Baghdad and even both parties formed two senior committees for this. 

"When we went to Baghdad to reach an agreement with the KDP, we were shocked when the Sadr movement told us; we had reached an agreement with the KDP and thought you had come to sign the agreement," Askasri said.

"The KDP wanted to embarrass the PUK with this so that the PUK cannot withdraw from the agreement, but there is no embarrassment in politics, we had our own opinion and withdrew," he added.

 

The KDP has two different fronts

“The problem between the PUK and the KDP is that the KDP is on two very different fronts and we do not understand them. One front thinks very rationally about the Kurdish issue, but the other thinks narrowly," Askari stated.

"Whenever we want to improve our relations with them, a direction within the KDP works to destroy relations," he added.

 

President Bafel attends the meetings for final decisions

"PUK President Bafel Jalal Talabani took part in the meetings with the KDP to make final decisions, but the KDP spokesperson, who is a member of the party's leadership, said unacceptable and insulting things," he said.

 

KDP has a program to destroy Kurdistan

"I think the KDP has a program to destroy and separate Kurdistan because all of its directions are aiming at reducing the power of other parties within the Kurdistan Regional Government," Askari said.

 

Sinjar and the referendum were a political agreement made by the KDP

"I think Sinjar and the referendum were political agreements that the KDP made with some parties because the arrival of the Islamic State (ISIS) in the area was not such that the Kurds can not defend," Askari said. "If we remember the meetings that took place in Jordan and in the Sunni-ruled areas, the KDP was present in all of them."

"The PUK agreed with the Iraqi government and the Americans to meet at the K-1 military base in Kirkuk before October 16 to prevent the Iraqi government from entering Kirkuk and keeping it in Kurdish hands but the KDP refused to agree on that just to keep Kirkuk out of the PUK's rule," he said.

 

The electoral law does not benefit any party

"The PUK wants to hold the elections more than all other parties, but the electoral law is not in the interest of any party and all parties have problems with the law," Askari stated regarding the elections.

"The PUK has never been as united as it is now, but we must correct our mistakes and reconcile with our people," he said.



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