Where is the Change Movement headed in Kurdish politics?
Gorran is the third largest party from the Kurdistan Region — holding the most seats in Baghdad and Erbil’s parliaments following the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). The Sulaimani-based party that broke off from the PUK ran notably quieter campaigns in the elections and lost its position as the second-largest party.
Sherko explains that differences of opinion, even publicly and intra-party, are a part of normal political discourse. He denies claims that the party is suffering from nepotism, but does not rule out the establishment of another Sulaimani-based political party in the near future. He considers it a success that Gorran was able to negotiate with the KDP for an upcoming vice presidency in the Kurdistan Region.
Rudaw’s Hiwa Jamal: It’s been suggested that Gorran remains in politics to make political gains and to turn itself into a family party. Is it true? Why are there so many suspicions surrounding Gorran?
Shwnas Sherko: There has been gossip that the sons of Nawshirwan Mustafa would receive ministerial posts, or become members of the executive body, or a MP in the Iraqi parliament, and many other things. It turned out they were a string of political propaganda targeting the Change Movement, and particularly, the sons of Nawshirwan Mustafa.
I would dare to say that it’s an organized media campaign that began right after the death of Nawshirwan Mustafa. The aim is to hit the party, the Executive Body and its organs and the sons of Nawshirwan Mustafa.
But why would even the founders of the party, those who are worried about the party, make those allegations? If PUK and KDP criticize you, you would say, ‘They are our rivals’, but even those who were with the party from the very beginning are not happy, and one of them is Qadir Haji Ali?
In fact, during the period when Nawshirwan Mustafa founded the Change Movement, he said in his political message: 'We know some
It is said that the Change Movement is becoming a family party. OK, let’s say that Mr. Chia, Mr. Nima, and Ms. Chra come back from London and they become minsters and Mr. Omer [Saed Ali] brings his nephews and nieces into the party and Mr. Jalal [Jawhar] brings his son, and they all became ministers, then the party becomes a family party.
Where is the Change Movement headed in Kurdish politics?
As a journalist, have you ever done any research about any decisions made outside the Change Movement's institution — the National Assembly?
I am asking questions, not conducting research — this is the difference between a journalist and a researcher. The question remains and frankly, the Change Movement should respond: Are the financial affairs of the party in the hands of the sons of Nawshirwan Mustafa or not?
Mr. Chia and Nima wield immense influence in the Change Movement and in the political decision of the party, but the final authority is not vested in them. The National Assembly of the Change Movement is the decision-making body of the Change Movement. I can give you examples, after the death of Nawshirwan Mustafa, he left a constitution for us. The Change Movement unanimously agreed
to adhere to the constitution [from A- Z].
The first step we took was the establishment of the executive body to handle the leader's powers. After the executive body was elected, Nawshirwan Mustafa's friends started running the local affairs of the Change Movement. Any decision made by the Change Movement has been made through the National Assembly.
I can count for you some of them: The matter of the referendum; the matter of withdrawal or suspension of the Gorran-PUK agreement; the subject of whether or not to join the government; the subject of forming negotiating committees to talk to the KDP [for the formation of the government]; and also the subject of the president having two deputies and not one. The KDP contacted us on this, and in the end it was the National Assembly's decision for the president to have two deputies.
Iraqi President Barham Salih had a phone call with the president-elect of the Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani. Do not you have a similar plan within the Change Movement to mend ties with those leaders angry with the party or talk to them since it’s Eid al-Fitr or sit together to resolve your issues?
You could classify those who have walked out the party and who are angry. Some of them may have demanded a post within the
Change Movement or a seat in the government or parliament. This group is angry because they failed to obtain what they worked for and now they defame Gorran.
The other group may be angry with the mechanism of decisions made by the National Assembly or they do not agree with political decisions the party makes, like Gorran joining the government. At the end of the day we have a national assembly deciding on these problems in question.
Is the Change Movement, as a political party, running its affairs per the constitution that it established along with the foundation of the party?
The system we are in now was established by Mr. Nawshirwan Mustafa, his friends and some political parties. If you go over the
interviews conducted with Nawshirwan Mustafa and his friends running Gorran now, Mr. Nawshirwan never wanted to break away from this system at any time. We were part of the establishment of this system... We intend to improve this system.
If you ask me if the Change Movement has derailed from these goals and programs by reaching an agreement with the KDP, I recommend you to talk to me about the details of the agreement.
At what point of the agreement has the Change Movement derailed from its principles and its political programs?
We have made a set of political decisions since Mr. Nawshirwan died. I recommend for you to ask me about what political statement
shows the Change Movement has derailed from the strategy that Nawshirwan Mustafa founded.
Before the elections, the Change Movement used to reject all sides, but after the elections, things changed?
When a journalist from the Change Movement writes something, he expresses his own ideas and does not represent Gorran.
But the head of the Change Movement bloc in the Kurdistan Region Ali Hama Salih must represent Gorran's politics?
Maybe, in one way or another, even the head of our list for the Kurdistan parliament elections did not represent our party during the campaigns, in the lead-up of the elections. The atmosphere is completely different during campaigning. Donald Trump used to say, ‘When I became the president of the US, I would put Hilary Clinton in jail’. Did he really do it when he became the president and even now?
You cannot use the election propaganda as a basis to say that someone from the Change Movement said something interesting and
Let’s wait and see what happens — if another party is declared.
therefore he speaks on behalf of the party. Nawshirwan Mustafa employed a new language in the political process, raising politics to the highest level — this was the political discourse of the Change Movement.
There is propaganda that a new party will be established in Sulaimani by those who have abandoned the Change Movement.
As the Change Movement, we are wishing all the best for any party thinking about declaring a new party in the political arena of the Kurdistan Region. I hope they do not give up their dreams of making changes, [whether they’re] in or outside the Change Movement.
Is it possible for Sulaimani to give birth to a new party every two to three or four years?
Let’s wait and see what happens — if another party is declared.