The Political System of Kurdistan - Research Paper Example

Kurdistan College Kurdistan Background information Kurdistan is a geo-cultural region that refers to the large parts of theeastern Turkey, northern Iraq and north-eastern Syria. This is one of the states where the citizens have yet to attain statehood due to the absence of a well-developed government structure. The country forms geographical locations where people have faced adverse political suppression, leading to their oppression. Most of the nationalists in the regions are Indo-European and Iraqian forms the largest percentage of the people of Kurdistan. The people of this country are referred to as Kurds or the Kurdish speaking people. While the political waves have promised to grant this state some form of political freedom, it is clear that it has a long way to go in the journey towards its independence. In the Middle East, Kurdish people claim one of the longest histories. The Kurdistan land was founded back in the year 2400 BC and the Kurds occupied the same geographic region that they occupy today. However, the population in this land has changed since there hass been massive foreign invasions and immigrants into this region. The current face of the Kurdish people has been changed by not only the people surrounding them but also those that have entered in this region in the course of history. One of the historical times that the Kurds mark is the time that they fall under the rule of the Ottoman. The Ottoman Empire considerably suppressed the Kurdish people and this had socioeconomic impacts in this land. Since 1843, during the Ottoman rule, a massive Kurdish uprising underpinned the political consciousness of this community. In the year 1908, the Kurdish people responded to oppression by attempting to form a national Kurdish movement. During the period of the First World War, there was a great struggle to redefine the boundaries of the Kurdistan land. Treaties were being formed by the respective governments to divide the minority communities such as Kurdistan. However, the government of Iraq and Turkey refused to give up the Kurdish land due to the presence of Oil wells in this region. They felt that this would be a great economic loss for the country. At the end of the Second World War, the Kurdish people formed the Mahabad Republic of Kurdistan, a body that gave this land independence from the other countries. However, this independence was short-lived as Iran, with the support of US and Great Britain destroyed this land and executed its leaders. This was a great blow for the land as it reduced the hopes of reconstruction and left the and under no leadership. In period between 1950s and 1960s, Iraq launched campaigns to rid the Iraqi territory of Kurds, a campaign that led to big fight and excessive torture of the Kurds. Many Kurd people were killed during this period. The solution to this war was obtained when the US intervened and engaged the Iraq government to sign a treaty that would give the Kurd people the liberty and freedom to handle their own affairs as they wished. However, this treaty did not last for long as Saddam Hussein in 1975 started war against the Kurdish people. Saddam Hussein bombed Kurdistan and tested chemical weapons such as cyanide and mustard gas on this region. By the year 1980, the war had killed over 5,000 Kurds and others were injured to a point of permanent disability. There is evidence that the Kurdish people were abused by the various governments during period inter-country war. For instance, during the Iraq-Iran war, the governments of the two countries issued the civilians with weapons to fight against the rival country. This resulted to death of more Kurdish people and the consequent reduction in their population. Kurdistan has experience severe internal conflicts within themselves, hence weakening their national voice. One of the reasons why internal conflicts emerged is due to the difference in interest that was influenced by the country that they lived. For instance, those within the Iraq boundary were different from those who lived in Turkey. As all of them had different governments to deal with, they had different political tastes and preferences. As a result, it became hard for them to arrive into a concession on what strategies to take in their journey towards political freedom. Internal conflicts were manifested as Kurds in different countries fought against each other and against the respective host governments. The internal disunion between the people of Kurdistan served to weaken their political structure as different political parties pursued different political goals. For instance, in 1997, the power sharing treaties between the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan fall apart in and a civil war ensued between the nationalists. This war did not come to an end until in 1998 when the Washington agreement was signed by the two parties. Today, the Kurds are estimated to be about 41 million in population. The current Kurd culture is way different from the traditional culture of the people. The cultural and language alterations have taken place due to the inflow of people from different cultures and refugees who have escaped war from other countries such as Iraq. Political liberty is half-way attained. For instance, the country has not yet acquired the freedom to hoist own flags in Iraq. The government in Iraq still insists that only the Iraq flag can be raised within the Kurdistan territories. The issue of oil exports have become a source of great tension in this country. As the government of Kurdistan plans to lift its economy by opening a new pipeline in Turkey, it is clear that there is a great controversy and Turkey continues to attack this country. These political wrangles have become a source of great conflict suppressing the development of this region and become a battle field. In 2013, many people have died after explosion of bombs in this region, incidences that are interpreted as indirect external attacks in the country. In addition, there is an increase in the inflow of Syria refugees in the country causing the Iraq Kurdistan to close its boarders to control this kind of population increase. The president of the autonomous state, Massoud Barzani, comes from the Kurdistan Republic Party which now has over 38 seats in the parliament. Other parties such as the Change Movement and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan are partisans and are gaining a stronger ground in the country. The country is the struggle to become completely independent and to recover the country from its socio-economic challenges. The Kurdistan Political System Since in 1992 when Kurdistan first conducted its election, there have been many political issues that have suppressed the development of this autonomous entity. The existence of many parties in this country has led to internal political weakness. The Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iraq has dominated in this country, while the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and the Change movement Party are gaining a stronger ground. The dominance of the Democratic Party has raised major concerns in the recent past. There seems to be a concession that this party is a majority ruler and seems to represent the will of the people of Iraq more than that of any other people. This issue has become controversial leading to political instability in the country. The bureaucracy of the government has made it a subject of criticism. Most political analysts have come up to term the issue as the Kurdish issue. Numerous efforts to achieve democratisation in the countries have failed. Although the peace making process seems to be promising hope for this country, it is clear that democratisation is an issue that still needs more commitment and dedication if it’s has to be attained. The frequent bombings in Iraq seem to originate from political disunity among different parts of this union. Turkey and Iran have waged war against the Iraqi Kurdistan since the year 2007. The Iran Kurdistan shelled the Kurdish rebel bases while the Turkey government launched both ground and air attacks which led to great loss in this country. This tension between Kurdistan in different lands is a sign of political instability. In 2011, the Turkish attacks against the People workers party has become a result of a great disagreement in this autonomous state. This lack of cohesion has become a great blow to the development of the country’s politics. The war between Kurdistan and Iraq has worsened the situation. The Kurdish government has overspent on its military in the war against Turkey. This has also created a situation of tension between the country and other countries. Poor international relation has become an issue of political concern in this country. As the country plans to open a new oil pipeline in Turkey, it has faced a lot of opposition due to its tensions with the country. The peaceful treaties that the country has engaged with Turkey to end the violent war has been undermined by Turkey’s cooperation. The political system in Kurdistan has yet to address the public problems that continue to face the people. It is clear that the government has yet to address the issues of education, poverty, health and employment in the country. Since this land has been stateless, it is clear that the public has received little civilization and the poverty levels are still very high. Most of the refugees who survived during the reign of Saddam Hussein continue to struggle in poverty. The government has been too involved in political wrangles which has drawn a lot of its economic resources and seen the government lose in terms of economic stability. The cultural orientation of the country has become an issue of concern. Since the history of the Kurdish society, women have become objects of social oppression, limited to domestic duties only. This culture still maintained and women continue to experience harsh oppression from the society. The government in this country has a role to step in and wage a war against this kind of political system. For instance, it is clear that the Kurdistan society has higher value for male education than female discrimination. The issues of gender violence affect women negatively and have been criticized as the worst indicator of suppression of female powers. The social indicators show that the Kurdistan government is way far in developing a strategy that can be used to protect the minority groups in the country. The government has not prioritised the social welfare of the people, which needs urgent attention. The Proposal Changes for Kurdistan The political, economic and social instabilities in Kurdistan are pressing issues that need immediate attention. If the government has to acquire its independence, it has to use a multi-step strategy to streamline the welfare of this country and the public. The country is in a state of depression after a long struggle against various enemies and the existence of suppressing forces that undermine the development of this nation. A wide range of researchers have teamed up to comprehend the Kurdistan problems and to develop strategies that can be employed to solve them. Many scholars that have looked at this problem have pointed out that there is need for correction of government operation which will help to eliminate conflicts, stabilize the economy and address the social problems within its population. Addressing the Political Issues and Conflicts Over twenty years after the Kurdistan first elections, it is clear that the state has yet to acquire political stability. Political instability is among the problems that the government has to address if the country has to take-off and embrace political developments. The complexity of the multiparty state is an issue that the country needs to re-evaluate. The fact that Kurdistan is formed from members of different mother countries makes their needs unique and more complicated to harmonise. Therefore, there is a need for the government to look for strategies to harmonise the issues that exist among them. For instance, the country should focus on engaging in a more integrative approach in the political sphere. The reason why most citizens in this land are dissatisfied is because the leading party comes from one region and they feel that such a leader can only represent the needs of a few in the society. On this note, there is a need to form a government that supports the will of the people. This will ensure that the people are satisfied and remain cooperative in developing the national strategy. This matter should be set as a priority to ensure that every citizens in cooperative and to reduce political unrest that has punctuated the history of this country. One of the ways to ensure that the government satisfies all the public irrespective of their geographical location is to have a comprehensive change in constitution. The poor political regulations in this country underpin the political failure in this country. It paves way for bureaucratic leadership that fails to unite the people. It gives the president the power to favour some societies while disregarding others. This is the reason why in many occasions the Iran and Turkey have expressed their dissatisfaction with the Iraq Kurdistan. A new constitution can be used to solve the problem in two approaches. First, the constitution can be used to limit the power of the president, giving way to an era of democratic leadership. This will help to reduce bureaucracy and provide a ground through which the leaders and the public can come in terms to discuss the national problems. Another way that a new constitution would help in resolving political issues is by bringing together the government and the opposition to work together in developing the nation. Harmony between the ruling party and the opposition party allows them to draw policies that satisfy the public rather than engage in battles that create disunity among the people. Next, it would be crucial for the government to streamline its relationship with other countries, especially their immediate neighbours. In the contemporary world, countries are looking for ways that they can form symbiotic relationships with other countries for maximum benefit. Since this country has many rivals, especially the countries from which they emanated, it is crucial to build mutual trust so that they can benefit from each other. For instance, Kurdistan has faced the challenge of constructing a new oil pipeline due to its bad relationship with Turkey. For years now, Turkey and Kurdistan have engaged in war punctuated by the death of the public. On this note, a healthy social relation with neighbouring countries would help in streamlining operations in this country. Although the two governments have come into an agreement to settle their disputes peacefully, it is clear that the two are unwilling to cooperate with this agreement. It is would be crucial for the government to seek international mediators to construct an agreement and to end the war that has caused the death of many in this country. Diplomatic approaches should be applied to reduce the likelihood of disobeying the agreement and to pave way for a more efficient approach of conflict resolution. Another way to resolve the problem should be to create unity among the people. Over the history of Kurdistan, there have been forces of war between Iraq, Iran and Turkish Kurds, which has led to their separation. The separation of the people results to leadership problems as more people tend to associate themselves with leaders from their regions. To strengthen public unity, the government must start by developing leadership unity at all levels. The leaders must enhance public cohesion by inspiring the people through peace campaigns. The people must learn to support the government in its endeavour to develop a national political strategy. Research shows that unity among the people is crucial in developing inter-personal relationship. Strengthening inter-dependence between different societies is vital in developing the countries. This serves to support society construction and to reduce disparities among different people. For instance, the Iraqi Kurds who suffered from torture during the reign of Saddam Hussein needs to be assisted in gaining ground to arise from high poverty levels. This can only be achieved if the government build a strong social entity where the welfare of the minority groups is a priority to all. Addressing Economic Problems Kurdistan is one of the poorest countries in the world due to a number of factors that have undermined its growth. One of the reasons for the poor economic structure is due to their geographic location. The Kurds occupies the mountainous regions where little agriculture can occur. As a result, they have a shortage of food and this makes most of the people poor in this society. Research shows that over 50% of the children in Kurdistan are malnourished. Secondly, oil is the only source of economic income in this country. This dependence on oil has resulted in poverty in this country. To make it worse, the country’s potential to exploit oil is undermined by the technological limitation that exists in this country. Secondly, the poverty of the Kurdish people is an issue that has a long history. The country’s economic stability has been inherited from the fact that the country has had no leadership, and that most of the people in this region are refugees. Additionally, there has been a great inflow of refugees from neighbouring nations, leading to an increase in the population, while the resources in this country are limited. For the government to maintain economic stability, they need to overcome the challenges that exist in this country and open up new avenues for the country to develop its economic capacity. One of the strategies to strengthen the Kurdistan economy is by reducing its dependence on oil and opening up new avenues for collecting income. For instance, Kurdistan has a potential for tourism market. This can be an alternative source of income for the country. On this note, the country should focus on developing its tourism industry to attract foreign income. To attract more visitors in this country, the government should invest in peace and order so as create a good atmosphere for visitors. Political instabilities prevent tourists from visiting countries, hence undermining this source of income. Also, the government should strategize on the way to improve its agricultural potential to provide food products for its population. For instance, the government should introduce modern methods of agriculture in the society. This will help to take advantage of the land and sustain the society internally without having to depend on imports that further drain the countries income. By focussing on alternative sources of income, the country can liberate itself from economic oppression from other countries and sustain its own country. After this, the country should focus on its oil wells and its potential to become an international supplier of fuel. The potential of the country to invest in oil production has been undermined by the countries wrangles with the neighbouring nations. Oil is one of the scarce resources that have helped many nations to raise its economic stability. The Kurdistan war with Turkey has prevented the government from developing its oil pipeline system which is a vital step to promote economic wellbeing in this developing state. On this note, it would be crucial to develop peace with this country if the country has to exploit its potential to develop its oil resources. The country should as well consider inviting international investors to support their oil mining projects. Forming international business relations can help the country to create ready market for its oil, and to acquire better value for their exports. This kind of economic reforms will help to develop the country’s economy and strengthen its development of strategy. Although this strategy may reduce the profits for this country, it would be worthwhile as the country does not have the potential to exploit its oil wells due to technological limitations. Lastly, the country should encourage industrialization in the country. The country needs to address the economic wellbeing of the people as well. To begin with, the country should focus on creating employment for the people in the country. The reason why most of the people in the country are poor in Kurdistan is because majority of them have no work. The employment rate in this country is very low, making it impossible for the people to earn a living or become economically independent. As a result, most people live within refugee camps and suffer from poor health, starvation and malnourishment. The government efforts to shelter the people are futile due high inflow of refugees and its little income. Therefore, the government should invest more on importing industrial technology and reducing its expenses. For instance, if the country refrains from war, it is possible for the country to reducing its military spending and hence channels this money to industrialization. This will help to create employment and raise the economic wellbeing of the people in the society. Supporting the economic well-being the society should be a priority for the Kurdistan government in accomplishing both its short-term and long-term goals. Addressing the Social Issues in Kurdistan A wide range of social disparities exist within the Kurdistan community. Apart from high poverty levels, it is clear that the government has not been able to major problems related to the social welfare of the community. For any credible government, the social welfare of the community is of great importance. The success of the government can be measured by its ability to counter the problems of the society and to help the people by raising their living standards and giving them an opportunity to live a decent life. Examples of social problems that exist within the Kurdistan state is the gender disparities, low civilization rates and crime. These problems are of great importance and the government must invest more in reducing them as a strategy of developing the community. The problem of gender disparity is a major issue that the government needs to attend. To begin with, the government should address the issue of female oppression manifested by the role they play in the society and their abuse within the institution of marriage. This is a cultural related problem that may pose a great danger to the social development of the community. Traditionally, the Kurds people had predesigned and separated the male and female roles within the society. The women took the domestic responsibilities while men played key role such as making major family decisions. Wife battering is a norm that the society has embraced for long. It is time the Kurdistan government focussed on the development of the community by raising the position of women in the society. To do this, the government needs to embrace the international standards and commit itself to the international policies that have been laid down to protect women. For instance, the government needs to put a more stable government system to protect women from domestic violence. The government should create channels to listen to women’s complains and institute disciplinary measures against offenders of domestic violence. This will help to create gender equality and to conform to the international standards. Another problem that the government needs to address is the issue of education among the citizens of Kurdistan. Education is a key factor for the development of any given country. The level of education within a society determines their employability and their ability to climb the ladder in terms of economic development. Civilization within a country helps the government to find it much easier to implement its political decisions. Additionally, educated citizens are more productive economically and are aware of how to reduce problems such as diseases that are related to lack of adequate education. In developing countries, low education standards have reduced their potential to grow. For Kurdistan, it is important to divert a good portion of their budget to education development. They should construct more schools and encourage more people, both males and females to acquire basic education. Gender disparities within the education sector should be addressed to ensure that each gender has access to education. This will work well in raising the living standards in the society in the long term. Read More