KDP Leader Pushes for Opposition Role in New Kurdish Government

27/01/2012 RUDAW EXCLUSIVE – ERBIL, Iraqi Kurdistan – In an interview with Rudaw, Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) politburo leader Fazil Mirani pressed for the opposition to end their political boycott and join the new Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) cabinet and said the region’s ruling parties “must be more open toward the other political parties.” He said the new government’s top priorities will include tackling corruption.

Rudaw: Why did it take so long to transfer the post of prime minister from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) to the KDP?

Fazil Mirani: The transfer of government is an important process and cannot be taken lightly. It is an important process and about forming a government. Today, Barham Salh is prime minister, tomorrow it will be Nechervan Barzani and later it will be someone else. It requires careful thought and it shouldn’t be considered a routine process. KDP has to make sure the process will go as it should. On the other hand, KDP and PUK have a strategic agreement and we will have to work around it.

“For any government it is important who becomes prime minister,”

If we ask Barzani to take the premiership we actually have to explain to him why it is important for him to take the premiership. If he says he won’t accept the post then he will have to explain to us why. This is not just a routine process and will be done through phone calls and emails.

The KDP leadership didn’t want to discuss such an important issue with him by phone calls. We postponed the discussion until he came back to Kurdistan. We met twice and we were convinced that the power exchange should be according to the strategic agreement between KDP and PUK. For example, medicine has positive results as well as side effects. We thought it would be bad to take the premiership back from PUK; however, it would be worse not to take it back.

First, we had to convince Nechervan Barzani to take the post and then we announced him as our candidate for KRG premiership. I would have supported extending the current administration’s term if Nechervan Barzani did not take the post; later it would have been up to PUK to let Salih remain in his post or replace him to someone else. Frankly, Nechervan Barzani as the prime minister will be seen as an important move in the government by the public and even the opposition. For any government it is important who becomes prime minister. This doesn’t mean Salih was not a good prime minister. Salih is a capable man.

Rudaw: What were Barzani’s conditions for taking the premiership?

Fazil Mirani: It was not his conditions, but a commitment to his party. He had a different view, which was close to KDP’s leadership view. As we are heading toward the power transfer in the government foundations we have to change our thoughts and actions according to the reality such as eradicating corruption, dealing with the opposition and offering a better service to our people. We have to be more aware of what is happening around us. We must be more open toward the other political parties. I was criticized for saying we must have a government of people. I didn’t mean that the previous administrations were not a government of citizens. We hope the opposition will join the next administration. We have had disagreements with the opposition in the past like, we were saying that Iraqi Kurdistan is still under the regional threat and the Kurdish issue has not yet been resolved in Iraq. The opposition was saying that is only an excuse for not willing to make reforms. Following the recent events in Iraq; Turkey’s (conflict) with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK),  Party of Free Life of Kurdistan’s (PJAK) (conflict) with Iran, and the Syrian Kurds, they were convinced that the threat is real. This means we came to the same understanding on the issues. Both the opposition and the ruling parties in Kurdistan will face the same external danger. It is time to admit that corruption exists and we need to make reforms. Some of the opposition’s demands are acceptable and we need to face them. This will be a common ground between us.

“ We must be more open toward the other political parties,” Rudaw: It is said, one of Barzani’s conditions for taking the premiership was that he should have complete power in his administration. Is this true?

Fzail Mirani: We as the KDP pledged our support to Barzani. If there was a little party interference in the previous administrations there will be none this time. We have decided to support the next administration in every way we can. President Talabani promised his absolute support to him as well.

Rudaw: What is Barzani planning to do in this administration?

Fzail Mirani: He wants to be more open to his people, media, and the opposition. He wants to have a strong government without any political party interference.

Rudaw: By a government of the people do you mean a government that the opposition is in it or a government that will have people’s support?

Fazil Mirani: That’s what I said. But other people wrongly interpreted what I said. What I mean by government of people is a government with all of the structures and ethnicities of this country included. The KRG’s 5th cabinet was more the government of people compared to the 6th (current) cabinet. In the 5th cabinet the Islamic Union and the Islamic League participated in the government, but in the 6th cabinet both parties left the government. If the opposition joins the next administration along with the other ethnicities and parties such as the Turkmen, Yazidi, Christians, PUK, KDP, and Islamic movement and that government will serve its people better.

“ At the end of the day, we are all Kurds and we all had struggled for Kurdistan in the past,”Rudaw: The opposition parties have announced that they will not join the next administration. Will you negotiate with them to join the government?

Fazil Mirani: Yes, why not. We are not enemies. At the end of the day, we are all Kurds and we all had struggled for Kurdistan in the past. They are free not to join the government but if they decided ahead of time not join the government it doesn’t mean we cannot still hold discussions with them. I am all for opening to the opposition parties. It is our duty to stretch our hands to them because we are in power. I believe both opposition and the ruling parties need to self-examine themselves and that’s not for the sake of anyone but to serve our people better. The situation is messy around us and the political process in Iraq is failing. We and the opposition need each other and we must work as one team. For example, we and the opposition had the same position in defending President Talabani. We thanked them for that. What we have against each other in Kurdistan is not an issue, but we must face the external threats together. We have to try our best to avoid division. The enemy tries hard to weaken us through division. Fortunately, the Kurdish leadership including both opposition and ruling parties are aware of this threat and they know division will damage the Kurdish movement.

Rudaw: Last week, Nawshirwan Mustafa, the leader of Change Movement, demanded the formation of an interim government. Will you agree to this?

Fazil Mirani: An interim government is a powerless government. An interim government means a step preparing for an early election. We were not originally against an earlier election but the opposition parties rejected this idea. It is not logical to hold an early election while the current government still has time remaining. We are not in such a big crisis that we need to create an interim government. That’s why we won’t agree to this demand. If we create a government together it won’t be an interim government and later we will plan an early election. Or we will run this government together and we will create an election committee and transparency committee when the legal time of this administration ends we will hold an election whoever wins will create a government.

Rudaw: Will you give important ministries to the opposition if they decide to join the government?

“ We are not in such a big crisis that we need to create an interim government,”Fazil Mirani: If they decide to join the government then we will discuss this. If we are sure that they really want to participate then it is not important what ministries will be given to Gorran or PUK and KDP. I believe all the ministries are important otherwise they won’t be a ministry. But, it is important who runs the ministry. We and PUK as the participants of the government must find suitable people for the government positions instead, find positions for people. We must find the capable people for the government positions, because this government will have a heavy burden politically and economically.  That’s why we need to find capable people. We must also consider the election results for each political party in dividing the ministries. My hope is for opposition to join this government, that’s why PUK and KDP should be more forgiving and generous; that’s important to us.

Rudaw: Will you let the prime minister choose his cabinet ministries or KDP and PUK will choose their ministries for the cabinet?

Fazil Mirani: The prime minister is free to choose who he thinks are the best for the positions. Our goal is his success and as KDP leaders are not longing to be ministers. From the lower positions to the higher positions he is free who he chooses.

Rudaw: Is there a timeline for announcing the next administration?

Fazil Mirani: We are currently waiting on Talabani’s return and I believe he will return one of these days. The issue of the deputy will be decided when Talabani returns. PUK asked us to give them time until Talabani returns.

Rudaw: It has been announced many times Kurdistan President Massoud Barzani won’t participate in the Iraqi national convention if it is held in Baghdad. Why do you think this is?

“The prime minister is free to choose who he thinks are the best for the positions,”

Fazil Mirani: The President has never said that. He will participate in the convention on the condition that the executive committee of the convention will provide the needs of the convention. We will not hold a convention to discuss another convention. Talabani and Barzani will not participate in the convention just to eat and talk without any political agreement. This convention was Talabani’s suggestion and Barzani supported it. We have been saying, first we need to agree on the basic issues instead to discuss everything in the convention. A convention like that won’t succeed. We don’t have any problems with locations, but the intentions and the results of the convention.

Rudaw: So President Barzani will attend?

Fazil Mirani: Of course, he will attend if there has been a political agreement ahead because it is in the best interest of Iraq and the Kurds. The role of the Kurds in this political process is not only because of 50 parliament seats, but the role of the Kurds as the nation.