Corruption, independence on agenda as Kurdish Islamic leaders meet in Sulaimani

SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region-- The leaders of the three main Islamic parties in Kurdistan Region have met in Sulaimani on Saturday holding their first summit ahead of the crucial parliamentary and provincial elections this year which will likely be coupled with an anticipated public vote on Kurdish independence.

Representatives of the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU), the Kurdistan Islamic Society (KIS) and the Kurdistan Islamic Movement (KIM) said the highly publicised meeting will lead to a more unified stance for the disintegrated Islamic factions in the country whose political roles have seen a decline marked by the last elections in 2013.

The three mainly opposition parties secured only 17 of the 111-seat regional parliament in Erbil in the last election as many of its Islamic supporters voted for the newly found opposition party the Change Movement (Gorran) in 2013 and 2009.

Gorran, a largely secular party with many Islamic members in its leadership has attracted many disfranchised Islamic voters who have over the past years were moved away from their traditionally Islamic factions due to what many have described as the passivity of the Islamist groups in the face of growing dominance of the two ruling parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).

“The First Islamic Meeting will recognise the right to self-determination and establishing an independent entity for our people; the work for that end will be seen as a religious and patriotic duty,” the parties said in a statement after the summit was ended.

KIU leader Salahaddin Bahaudin said in his opening adress that the parties will “confront corruption and injustices and work for the rule of law,” describing the day as a historic day.

Corruption, independence on agenda as Kurdish Islamic leaders meet in Sulaimani

Bus overturns in Mosul; at least four dead

Annual mini-Olympics brings water sports, strength games to Duhok

Iran says Strait of Hormuz to ‘remain’ Iranian as Trump plans to declare it US territory

Related Articles

Bus overturns in Mosul; at least four dead

Annual mini-Olympics brings water sports, strength games to Duhok

Iran says Strait of Hormuz to ‘remain’ Iranian as Trump plans to declare it US territory