Patriotic Union of Kurdistan

Patriotic Union Of Kurdistan
Yekîtîya Nîştîmanîya Kurdistan
Yeketî Niştîmanî Kurdistan
الاتحاد الوطني کوردستان
یەکێتیی نیشتمانیی کوردستان
Leader Jalal Talabani
Founded June 1, 1975
Headquarters Silemani
Ideology Kurdish nationalism,
Social Democracy, Democratic Socialism
International affiliation Socialist International
Official colors Green
Website
PUK
PUK is directed here, for other uses see: PUK (disambiguation)

The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) (Kurdish: یەکێتیی نیشتمانیی کوردستان / Yeketî Niştîmanî Kurdistan‎) is a Kurdish political party in South Kurdistan. [1] The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) was founded on June 1, 1975, by coordinations between Jalal Talabani and Nawshirwan Mustafa. Mustafa was the leader of an independent socialist movement that adopted Kurdish nationalism called "Komeley Renjderan," some two months after the collapse of the Kurdish rebellion of 1974-1975 created a moment of profound crisis for the Kurdish people in Iraqi Kurdistan, the organization's aim was to revitalize resistance and to rebuild and redirect Kurdish society along modern and democratic lines. Talabani, a former student leader, lawyer, journalist and resistance leader, has been the Secretary General of the PUK since its founding in 1975. The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan works for self-determination, human rights, democracy and peace for the Kurdish people of Kurdistan and Iraq. The Secretary General is Jalal Talabani, the current president of Iraq. The current Deputy Secretary General is Kosrat Rasool Ali. The PUK's policy and decision making is issued mainly by Talabani.

Contents

History

Discontent within the KDP

The PUK traces its political heritage to Sulaymaniyah native Ibrahim Ahmad. After the collapse of the Soviet-backed Kurdish Mahabad Republic in Iran in early 1947, Ibrahim Ahmad, previously the Sulaymaniyah representative of the Iranian KDP (from now on referred to as KDP-I), joined the newly formed Iraqi KDP. Ahmad was a highly influential Leftist intellectual, who by 1951 had succeeded in rallying most of the Iraqi Kurdish leftist-nationalists to the new Iraqi KDP, which in turn, took the opportunity to convene a second Party Congress and duly elect Ahmad as secretary-general (effectively acting Chairman). [2]

However, from the very beginning in Iran, Ibrahim Ahmad's Leftist politics, "intellectualism", and support for Qazi Muhammad put him at odds with the faction of the KDP loyal to Mulla Mustafa Barzani and his traditionalist-conservative tribal support base. It was "well-known in nationalist circles that the relations between the two men [Mulla Mustafa and Qazi] were not easy".[3]

Tensions simmered for many years as the Leftist factions of the KDP attempted to bring the members of the Iraqi Communist Party into the party and force the party to adopt progressive policies of agrarian reform - angering Barzani's political and military support base of the tribal elders ("Aghas"). Indeed, in 1956, antagonism between the Kurdish aghas and the KDP-ICP reached such a height that emissaries for the former contacted the British consul in Mosul requesting arms and finance to establish an "anti-Communist and independent Kurdistan" in northern Iraq. [4]

Ibrahim Ahmad was soon joined by up-and-coming intellectual and socialist Jalal Talabani. Mulla Mustafa "talked freely, with a bitterness amounting to hatred, against the... intellectual presumptuousness of the KDP politicians, singling out Ibrahim Ahmad for his particular dislike". While Ahmad complained of Mulla Mustafa's "selfishness, arbitrariness, unfairness, tribal backwardness and even his dishonesty." But while each wanted to reduce the others' influence in the KDP, each also knew that the other was indispensable in securing the loyalty of their respective support-bases.

When the first Ba'ath Party government was deposed in a coup led by Abdul Salam Arif, Mulla Mustafa developed a close relationship with Arif. Mulla Mustafa signed an agreement with Arif in his personal capacity, rather than as president of the KDP. This infuriated Ibrahim Ahmad and Jalal Talabani as the agreement omitted any mention of self-administration, let alone autonomy - the whole point for which the Kurds had been fighting a long-term guerrilla war for. Arif threatened force against any Kurdish opponent of Mulla Mustafa, while Mulla Mustafa declared that any resistance to Baghdad would constitute a declaration of war against himself and the Barzanis. [5] Mulla Mustafa informed Arif that he had no objection to the abolition of Kurdish political parties, so long as it served the "interests of Iraq", and began to receive arms and funds from Abdul Salam Arif.

Ibrahim Ahmad and Jalal Talabani who decried this complicity, and as they saw it, submission, to Baghdad. Mulla Mustafa rallied the conservatives and tribal leaders to his side. Furious debates and campaigning followed, but Ahmad's and Talabani's arguments could not dislodge Mulla Mustafa's position as the popular figurehead of the Kurdish people. Mulla Mustafa would accept not dissent, and, fearing for their lives, Ahmad and his followers slipped away at night from a heated discussion with Mulla Mustafa, and retreated back to their stronghold in Mawat.[6]

At the 6th Party Congress of the KDP in July 1964, representatives from the Ahmad-Talabani faction were promptly arrested upon arrival. A few fays later Mulla Mustafa sent his son, Idris Barzani with a large force to drive Ahmad, Talabani, and their 4,000 or so followers into exile in Iran. With that, Mulla Mustafa had finally achieved undisputed control of the KDP. [7]

Founding of the Party

After the defeat of the Kurds in the 1974-1975 Revolt, on June 1st, 1975, Jalal Talabani and his supporters announced from Damascus the founding of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. The PUK was a coalition of at least five separate political entities, the most significant of which were Talabani and his closest followers, Nawshirwan Mustafa's clandestine Marxist-Leninist group Komala, and the Kurdistan Socialist Movement (KSM), led by Ali Askari. Their communique ascribed the collapse of the revolt to "the inability of the feudalist, tribalist, bourgeois rightist and capitulationist Kurdish leadership".

The PUK received grassroots support from the urban intellectual classes of Iraqi Kurdistan upon its establishment, this was partly due to 13 of its 15 founding members being PhD holders and academics. In the early 1980s the PUK evolved and broadened its appeal to all sections of Kurdish society especially the rural classes. The regional Kurdish assembly elections showed that the PUK's support lies predominantly in the southern area of Iraqi Kurdistan. Since the first Gulf War, the PUK has jointly administered Iraqi Kurdistan with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).

Structure

PUK's decision-making is centralized around Talabani mainly. The Leadership Council elects the Secretary General and the 11 member Political Bureau. The PUK was originally formed as an umbrella organization unifying various trends within the Kurdish political movement in Iraq. In 1992, the constituent groupings within the PUK merged into a unified political movement that affirmed its social-democratic identity and affiliation. The PUK has branches in all of the major cities and towns of Iraqi Kurdistan and draws membership from a broad cross-section of Kurdish society. The membership of the PUK, based on statistics compiled in September 1998, stands at 800,280 members and associates. The PUK contested the 1992 elections for the Kurdistan National Assembly, and the party list acquired 423,682 votes of the total of 957,469 valid votes cast - giving the PUK commanding majority in three of Iraqi Kurdistan four governorates.

Jalal Talabani is the current leader of the PUK and the president of Iraq
Dr. Barham Salih. A high member of the PUK and currently is the Prime Minister of the KRG
Nawshirwan Mustafa was the deputy secretary general of PUK, until he resigned in 2006. He said the reason was because of the widespread corruption inside the PUK structure and the centralization of PUK decision making.

PUK's organizational structure

Bureau for Organization: Manages PUK's organizations throughout the region, as well as producing and disseminating educational and informational materials for distribution to the membership. The bureau also supervises the electoral process within the organization and ensures that the party adheres to its bylaws. Bureau for Information: Supervises and manages PUK media operations. Currently, the PUK operates several outlets: - The People of Kurdistan TV (Gali Kurdistan) (based in Silemani), the main television station, and other smaller TV stations in the towns and districts of the region; - The Voice of the People of Kurdistan, a radio station that broadcasts in Kurdish and Arabic. The transmission is received throughout the Middle East and Europe. - Kurdistan-i-Nwe, a daily Kurdish newspaper, the Al-Itihad weekly in Arabic, and The Monitor, a daily bulletin in Kurdish and Arabic, which monitors international broadcasts on matters relating to Kurdish and Iraqi affairs;

Bureau for Culture and Democratic Organization: Acts as a liaison with professional and cultural organizations such as the Students' Union of Kurdistan, Women's' League of Kurdistan, and the Writer's Association.

Bureau of Finance and Management: Manages the financial affairs and administrative staff of the organization. The Leadership Council, through an independent Auditing Commission, supervises the activities of this bureau.

Bureau for Human Rights: The bureau was instituted to monitor the human rights situation in Iraqi Kurdistan - with primary emphasis on the conduct of PUK members and leadership. The bureau acts as a liaison with local human rights organizations and engages in a wide range of educational campaigns with regard to human rights principles, the rule of law, and democracy and to ensure PUK's adherence to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The bureau reports directly to the PUK Secretary General.

Bureau for Social Affairs: In conjunction with the regional authorities, the bureau facilitates settlement of social disputes, particularly with regard to land and tribal matters.

Bureau for Martyr's and Veteran Affairs: The bureau is tasked with assisting the families and dependents of victims of the war in Kurdistan and the veteran community.

Bureau for International Relations: The bureau of international relations coordinates the activities of PUK representatives abroad and reports to PUK's political leadership on relations with foreign government and institutions. Today, PUK has permanent offices in Washington, London, Paris, Berlin, Moscow, Rome, Stockholm and Brussels, the seat of the European Parliament. In the Middle East, the PUK has offices in Tehran, Ankara, Syria and Egypt. The PUK and KRG representative to the United States of America is headed by Talabani's son Qubad Talabani.

Iraqi Kurdistan legislative election, 2009 ‎=

The PUK lost its stronghold city, Silemani in the Iraqi Kurdistan legislative election of 2009. The main reason is believed by observers to be because of the widespread corruption and centralization of decision making inside the structure of PUK. The formation of a new list, the Change List, that was formed by Nawshirwan Mustafa won the majority of the votes in Silemani by 51%.

Branches

The areas that PUK’s branches functioning in has been divided into 36 community where PUK located a branch in each of them with three levels according to the population of the area:

Level A: 8 Branches and each branch will consist of (Head of the branch, 2 Deputies and 8 Branch Assistants)

•Silemani’s 1st Branch

•Kirkuk’s 2nd Branch

•Hawler’s 3rd Branch (Erbil)

•Duhok’s 4th Branch

•Baghdad’s 5th Branch

•Mosul’s 7th Branch

•Kalar’s 11th Branch

•Khanaqen’s 12th Branch (Diala Governorate)

Level B: 12 Branches and each branch will consist of (Head of the Branch, 2 Deputies and 6 Branch Assistants)

•Soran District’s 6th Branch (Hawler Governorate)

•Raparen’s 8th Branch (Silemani Governorate)

•Sharazor District’s 9th Branch (Silemani Governorate)

•Koya District’s 14th Branch (Silemani Governorate)

•Chamchamal’s 15th Branch (Silemani Governorate)

•Hemren’s 16th Branch (Diala Governorate)

•Khabat’s 18th Branch (Hewler Governorate)

•Silemani’s 21st Branch (Silemani Suburbs)

•Pishdar’s 24th Branch (Sulaymaniah Governorate)

•Kifri’s 26th Branch (Diala Governorate)

•Dukan’s 27th Branch (Silemani Governorate)

•Shangal’s 35th Branch (Sinjar District in Mosul Governorate)

Level C: 16 Branches and each branch will consist of (Head of the Branch, 2 Deputies and 4 Branch Assistants)

•Rozhihalat’s 17th Branch (Silemani Governorate)

•Aqry’s 19th Branch (Duhok Governorate)

•Qarachugh’s 20th Branch (Hewler Governorate)

•Sharbazher’s 22nd Branch (Silemani Governorate)

•Penjwen’s 23rd Branch (Silemani Governorate)

•Darbandikhan’s 25th Branch (Silemani Governorate)

•Halbjay Shahed’s 28th Branch (Halabja District in Silemani Governorate)

•Kirkuk District’s 29th Branch (Kirkuk Suburbs)

•Dibiz’s 30th Branch (Kirkuk Governorate)

•Daquq’s 31st Branch (Salahaldeen Governorate)

•Sommel’s 32nd Branch (Mosul Governorate)

•Ammedi’s 33rd Branch (Duhok Governorate)

•Shekhan’s 34th Branch (Mosul Governorate)

•Zakho’s 36th Branch (Duhok Governorate)

•Choman District’s 37th Branch (Hewler Governorate)

•Shaqlawa’s 38th Branch (Erbil Governorate)

Note: the above list excluded 2 PUK branches, 10th and 13th (Peshmerga Branch and Abroad Branch)

Notable members

References

  1. ↑ Patriotic Union of Kurdistan - Official Website
  2. ↑ McDowall, David. A Modern History of the Kurds. London: I.B. Tauris, 2007 ed. p. 297
  3. ↑ McDowall, David. A Modern History of the Kurds. London: I.B. Tauris, 2007 ed. p. 242
  4. ↑ McDowall, David. A Modern History of the Kurds. London: I.B. Tauris, 2007 ed. p. 300
  5. ↑ McDowall, David. A Modern History of the Kurds. London: I.B. Tauris, 2007 ed. p. 316
  6. ↑ McDowall, David. A Modern History of the Kurds. London: I.B. Tauris, 2007 ed. p. 317
  7. ↑ McDowall, David. A Modern History of the Kurds. London: I.B. Tauris, 2007 ed. p. 317
Kurdistan National Assembly

Kurdistan Democratic Party - Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (59) • Change List (25)  • Kurdistan Islamic Union - Islamic Group of Kurdistan - Kurdistan Socialist Democratic Party (13)  • Turkmen Democratic Movement (3) • Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Popular Council (3)  • Islamic Movement of Kurdistan (2)  • Assyrian Democratic Movement (2) • Kurdistan Communist Party (1)  • Iraqi Turkmen Front (1)  • Erbil Turkmen (1)  • Independent Armenian (1)