SOUTH KURDISTAN: “NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN”
Nothing will change with the new cabinet
25 Jan 2012 KURDISTAN TRIBUNE – By Kamal Chomani: - The new cabinet of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is going to be announced in the coming weeks by Nechirvan Barzani. All the changes that are expected to happen amount to nothing but exchanging some positions. Let’s review in brief these likely changes which will not have any kind of real impact on improving the KRG’s effectiveness.
Changes in positions:
Barham Salih, the current Prime Minister, will pass the premiership to Nechirvan Barzani, the former prime minister.
Kosrat Rasul Ali, Jalal Talabani’s first deputy, will become Masoud Barzani’s deputy president of Kurdistan region.
The speaker of parliament will be Arsalan Bayiz, the current deputy speaker of parliament.
Along with these changes, the majority of ministerial positions may change. Are the KRG’s problems down to personalities or policies? Is the main obstacle to the KRG thriving as a democratic region the political system or the politicians? Haven’t we already experienced the reign of these new – but old – faces?
Nothing will change, but figures, or let’s say faces. Do faces have policies or mindsets? Can faces change anything special?
Government:
The fact that the government has been controlled by the two ruling parties does not give any chance for any prime minister to be successful with his agenda. Barham Salih couldn’t become the prime minister of the KDP’s zone –Hawler and Duhok provinces, and likwise Nechirvan Barzani cannot be the prime minister of the PUK’s zone. Barham Salih couldn’t unify the ministries of Finance, Peshmerge and Interior. He was also unable to unify the two security forces establishments, Zaniyari and Parastin. And the oil contracts were politicized rather than nationalized.
I am quite certain that Nechirvan Barzani cannot do what Barham Salih couldn’t do!
Actually, with the government, nothing will change.
Presidency of the Kurdistan region:
The most un-institutionalized establishment in Kurdistan is the presidency, which is really disastrous. One man is at the top, making decisions, and without proper accountabilities. If it works like this, Kurdistan is on the way to being a tyrannical state. All the regional and foreign relations, decisions, and policies reflect the views of one man who is sitting at the top, close to Hawler, the capital city of the region.
Masoud Barzani has not had the ability to distinguish between his responsibilities as his party’s president and as the Kurdistan Region’s president. He is more likely to be the president of his party, not people of Kurdistan. Has anyone seen the Kurdistan presidency’s palace? Haven’t you observed that Masoud Barzani, president of the Kurdistan region, receive his guests as KDP president at the same palace that he receives his guests as Kurdistan’s president?
As some sources have hinted, the Kurdistan presidency has more than 700 employees, although the only ones we know about are Barzani – the president, Dr Fuad Hussein- the chief of Divan, and few others. Who are the rest?
The only change in the KRG presidency will be to add another member to the board – Kosrat Rasul, who won’t have any practical powers. In fact, Kurdistan should not have this kind of presidential system. It is a really dangerous for a region where democracy is still in its infancy.
The ministries:
On what basis will the ministers change? We can sure it will be dependant on loyalties to either of the two ruling families.
The ministers who have to relinquish their posts will be retired. They will be another burden on the KRG’s budget. The people of Kurdistan should not accept this. These ministers should not be retired on state pensions, because any cabinet is only for four years. 19 ministers will get retired and, after two years, another 19 will get retired – and all will keep receiving big monthly salaries. This is serious corruption. Basically, the new cabinet will start with this type of corruption.
In brief, I am pessimistic about all the changes that are going to happen. The Kurdistan region needs changes in the political system – in the structure of the establishment and institutions, the hierarchy of the system and the mentality of the politicians. Changing faces will only brings smiles to the supporters of one party, and nervousness to the supporters of the other.