Gorran unveils 7-month interim government roadmap

SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region – Gorran unveiled its roadmap for the establishment of an interim government the party wants tasked with preparing for talks with the Iraqi government, preparing for free and fair elections, and making changes to Kurdistan's financial, security, and diplomatic bodies.

 

The proposal set a seven-month time limit on the interim government, coinciding with the end of parliament's extended mandate, and mainly targets the finance and Peshmerga ministries that were run by the party before it was suspended from the government in 2015.

 

Gorran argued that an interim government is needed to establish a "strong and active" government capable of handling the "sensitive and dangerous" situation after the October 16 events that resulted in the loss of most of the disputed areas after the Kurdistan vote on independence.

 

The party did not support or oppose the referendum that saw nearly 93 percent support for leaving Iraq. The vote was opposed by Iraq, neighbouring countries, and most international allies.

 

Gorran has already presented its interim government roadmap to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the two main ruling parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). None have officially committed to the plan, but the PUK's Imad Ahmad stated on Wednesday that it will become a joint project for all the parties, without giving further details. 

 

Gorran backtracked from its initial demand that called for the KRG cabinet to be dissolved after it was rejected by both the PUK and the KDP.

 

The interim government must reflect a "true partnership" based on the outcome of the last parliamentary elections held in 2013, the Gorran roadmap stated.

 

Gorran is Kurdistan Region's second-largest party with 24 seats in the parliament following the KDP with 38 seats. The PUK has 18 seats in the 111-seat chamber. 

 

The would-be interim government has to establish a "strong" negotiation team from the interim government and the parliament tasked with holding dialogue with Baghdad on the basis of the Iraqi constitution.

 

Gorran said the Kurdistan parliament and the judiciary should continue to function as normal.

 

Getting into specifics, the roadmap set out a 4-month plan and a 7-month plan.

 

Within four months, Gorran said the following steps must be implemented: change oil policy within the framework of the Iraqi constitution and in light of Kurdistan's oil and gas law; restructure economic policy in such a way that ensures an accurate government payroll and restructure tariffs and taxes per the laws already in place; fight corruption by activating the integrity body and the office of the public prosecutor; change and restructure the foreign department to ensure a foreign policy that keeps a "balance" of Kurdish parties represented in missions abroad; remove "obstacles" that prevent ministers from using all their powers; and cancel "those illegal decisions and actions" that were made while Gorran ministers and the parliament speaker were suspended.

 

The 7-month plan focuses on preparations for elections, including a "clean" voter list and amendments to the representation system. Under the current system, MPs represent just their party – not a constituency. Gorran wants the introduction of multiple electoral districts.

 

It also calls for the unification of the Peshmerga and the force's reorganizing in light of the Iraqi constitution and Iraqi defense system, giving the Peshmerga minister "all powers" to enact this; reactivation of the committee tasked with drafting a constitution for the Kurdistan Region and "applying the principles of the parliamentary system" in the constitution of the Kurdistan Region; and decentralization in order to give provinces financial and administrative powers.

 

Gorran met with a PUK delegation in Sulaimani on Wednesday to discuss the roadmap a day after meeting with a KRG delegation headed by PM Barzani on Tuesday.

 

Kurdistan's largest Islamic party, the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU), with 10 seats in the parliament, has also called for an interim government to be established until elections are held.

 

The Kurdistan parliament in late October postponed the November 1 parliamentary and presidential elections and extended its term by eight months.

 

Gorran only returned to the parliament after Masoud Barzani resigned from the presidency on November 1. The party had called Masoud Barzani's term illegal after it was twice extended. The dispute soured relations between Gorran and Barzani's KDP.