In Jordanian elections, a voice supporting Kurdish independence
AMMAN, Jordan - With one day to go before Jordanians cast their votes in the country's parliamentary elections, some 1,200 candidates who are running are eyeing their future role in a new parliament.
The new election law which set the ground for proportional representation for the first time in more than two decades, and the participation of the Muslim Brotherhood following its boycotts in 2010 and 2013, prove that this time more than ever the domestic politics top the agenda.
Yet, although Jordan has been relatively stable in an otherwise troubled neighborhood, the country’s participation in the US-led coalition against the Islamic State is a close reminder that the regional relations also play a significant role in the upcoming election.
The Kurdistan Region, also a member of the US-led coalition, has created and strengthened ties with Jordan. The Kurds hope these relations will one day become strong enough to result in supporting the Region’ drive for independence.
Among the candidates, there are some who support the prospect of an independent state for the Kurds. Salih Mohamad Jaluq, who is running for the new parliament, says he favors relations between his country and an independent Kurdistan.
“I say the Kurdish nation should have an independent state and have their own say over all the issues regarding the region and Kurdistan,” he told Rudaw.
“I hope the Kurds would form their own state in the near future, and I hope all the changes in the region would be in the interests of the (Kurdistan) Region. We all should certainly support (the statehood)” Jaluq said.
Such remarks may not have surfaced in the past. But Jordan’s relations with Iraq after the invasion in 2003 pushed Amman closer to the Kurds.
Jordan used to have warm relations with the former Iraqi government under Saddam Hussein, but the invasion brought some unwelcome changes, with Iraq often accusing Amman of harboring former members of the Baath party.
Meanwhile, the Kurdistan Region, which was increasingly developing uneasy relations with the Iraqi government, seemed to be a good alternative for Jordan.
In 2011, Jordan opened its consulate in the Kurdish capital of Erbil, following the first visit of a Jordanian prime minister to the Kurdistan Region.
This relationship developed even further when Kurdish President Masoud Barzani was invited to Jordan in May 2014. He held meetings with King Abdullah II discussing mainly “trade and cultural relations”.
For Musa Maaytah, Jordan’s minister for political and parliamentary affairs, his government’s war against the Islamic State remains the priority.
“I believe Iraq and Kurdistan have a significant role in the fight against the Islamic State, which forms a great threat to the region,” he said. “Terrorism and extremism are dangerous. We stand strong behind every effort against the massacres (by ISIS).”