What if Kurds boycott the Iraqi elections?

• Last Updated: November 18. 2009 8:34PM UAE / November 18. 2009 4:34PM GMT

Mohammed Kharroub, in a comment piece for the Jordanian daily Al Rai, inquired whether the Kurds will go ahead with their threat to boycott the upcoming elections if their three demands are not met: correcting the estimation of Mosul’s population, modifying the number of parliamentary seats allocated to Kurds, and increasing compensatory seats reserved for minorities.

“It is early, though, to think of how these demands will be answered by Arab political forces, which, themselves, are experiencing an unprecedented state of division and mutual mistrust. This is coupled with the weakening position of the prime minister Nouri al Maliki and that of his alliance, State of the Law, following the deadly blasts that rocked Baghdad recently.”

Many Kurdish political figures believe the new electoral law is a “major counterfeiting act” against Kurdistan and democracy in Iraq. “Close sources to the leadership of Kurdistan province described the law as an attempt to further shrink the Kurdish representation in the Iraqi parliament.

There are two potential scenarios: the Kurds will decide not to take part in the elections or the elections will be postponed. Either outcome depends on the coalition that Kurds will manage to knit together amid a “messy map of alliances”. The Kurds appear to be manoeuvring not to give Arab political blocs a chance to reject their political claims.

Ratifying the ICC will benefit the GCC

“The GCC states’ policies towards the International Criminal Court (ICC) have not become uniform as they vary from one country to another. Some countries signed the ICC Rome Statute, but they have not yet ratified it, while others have not done taken any legal steps towards the ICC since its creation in 2002,” wrote Mudhfar Abdullah in a comment piece for the Kuwaiti newspaper Al Jarida. 

“I bring up this issue because the GCC ministers of justice have decided to take part in the ICC conference in 2010 that will define a fourth scope of its jurisdiction: the crime of aggression. It is not politically wise to say that GCC countries have to join the ICC because they do not commit any of the crimes under its jurisdiction: genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. But this remains an unrealistic justification because respect for human rights is the duty of all nations and should not be seen a gift extended to the international community.”

A key to a nation’s strength – besides other elements such as the economy and human resources – resides in openness to international organisations operating in such fields as culture, science, human rights and international justice. Delaying the ratification of the Rome Statute is a waste of time and may cause the GCC countries to lose the opportunity to strengthen their position internationally.

Inviting Livni to speak in Morocco is offensive

“While Israeli officials have avoided visiting western countries in fear of being brought before justice on charges of war crimes against the Palestinian and Lebanese people, they do not face a similar danger if they stop by Arab capitals in response to special invitations from governments or non-government organisations,” noted the London-based newspaper Al Quds al Arabi in its editorial. 

The former Israeli foreign Minister and current Kadima party leader, Tzipi Livni, who was behind the war against Gaza, has been summoned by the Amadeus Institute in Tangier to take part in a political debate this weekend.

“We are wondering whether the Amadeus Institute’s chairman, Ibrahim al Fassi, is aware of the Goldstone report, which indicted the Israeli government, led then by the Kadima party, for using civilians as human shields, bombarding houses and killing more than 1400 Palestinians during their invasion of the Gaza Strip.

“We are wondering also whether Mr al Fassi has considered the feelings of millions of Moroccans who took to the streets in protest against the Israeli assault on Gaza.” 

It was reported that Moroccan lawyers requested to arrest Ms Livni once she arrives in the country for her part in the offensive. “A good motion as it is, but it failed to include those who invited her. at a time when more than 60,000 Palestinians are still homeless.”

US tries to restore its face in Afghanistan

“The US secretary of state Hillary Clinton has ended an era of lies by neoconservatives during former president George W Bush’s term. Mr Bush deceived the world by claiming that he invaded Afghanistan and Iraq to promote democracy and modernism,” declared the UAE newspaper Al Khaleej in a lead article.

“The US is confused now as it desperately seeks to save face by finding a way out from both Afghanistan and Iraq.“

Mrs Clinton tried to redefine the main goal of her country in Afghanistan, saying the US would like to get rid of al Qa’eda with no intention of staying forever or establishing a modern democracy.

During his era, Mr Bush launched an ill-founded propaganda campaign by representing himself as a “philanthropist” who offered his services to poor countries to pull them through their economic and political crises. Campaigning for these goals is now over, and the truth laid bare: security is the prime interest. “As such, there is no plan for reform, nor there are reformers; there is no plan for democracy, nor there are democracy advocates.”

The US administration is now reviewing its strategy in Afghanistan, but is it serious enough to come up with a solution to end that disasters that have calamities befalled the country and its people?

* Digest compiled by Mostapha Elmouloudi

melmouloudi@thenational.ae