ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Kurdish leaders have called for unity in this year’s Eid ul-Fitr messages amid growing political rivalries and a worsening economic crisis gripping the Kurdistan Region.
"I hope the return of this Eid will further embolden all of us towards harmony, tolerance, unity and co-existence," said Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani in a statement on Saturday evening, hoping future celebrations will be marked "in a better atmosphere."
This year’s Eid ul-Fitr – to begin tomorrow- is unlike previous years, with a complete lockdown to be imposed from midnight in order to spread the curb of the novel coronavirus amid a new uptick in cases.
In addition to the coronavirus pandemic, the Region has seen recent instability in the form of inter-party tensions, disputes with Baghdad and popular protests over the failure to pay civil servants for several months.
Tensions have been particularly high among political parties in the Kurdistan Region since Soran Omar, a Kurdistan Islamic Group (Komal) MP was controversially stripped of parliamentary immunity earlier this month, allowing Prime Minister Masrour Barzani to sue him for libelous statements submitted to the parliament.
Relations took a turn for the worse after Duhok Governor Farhad Atrushi, a Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) member, accused the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), New Generation and the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) last week of being behind a demonstration held by teachers, journalists and civil servants against the government's failure to pay public sector salaries on time.
The parties categorically rejected Atrushi's claims, describing his comments as attempts to further strain already cold relations.
The row has created new and deeper schisms between the Kurdistan Region's parties, and could undermine their collective clout in upcoming battles with the Iraqi federal government over oil sales, the budget, and territorial disputes unless the KDP and PUK - the largest two parties in the Region - thaw the ice.
KDP Masoud Barzani, president of the KDP described the existing economic crisis as presenting the Region with “new challenges", and called on all political parties to unite.
"I view the Eid ul-Fitr as an opportunity to call upon all the political parties of the Kurdistan Region to respond and face these challenges. at a national level.. and to take the path of brotherhood, unity and harmony," Barzani said.
Speaker of the Kurdistan Region Parliament Rewaz Fayaq has also called for unity, asking political parties to “cast aside their rivalries" and "draw a new beginning on the bases of forging trust to build national unity.”
Ali Bapir, the leader of Islamist Komal party described Eid as an "opportunity" which should be “seized” by authorities to reconcile with the public.
"Eid is an opportunity to help bring about peace and harmony and put an end to the rivalries among us," Bapir said.
KIU leader Salahadin Bahadin also spoke of a “mistrust” between authorities and the public.
"Unfortunately, Eid comes at a time that the coronavirus's health and social implications are still there and no grassroots solution to the economic crisis and the matter of the civil servants' salaries has been discovered," Bahadin said.
Political parties must decide “to mend ties” to avoid plunging the region into a deeper crisis, he added.
Kosrat Rasul Ali, head of the PUK Supreme Political Council said the burden lies on the shoulders of political parties to end the current crises.
"This is a duty on the shoulders of political parties to help rid of this undesirable situation and the Kurdistan Regional Government should responsibly deal with this situation," he said.
