PUK Advocates for Establishment of Kurdish Unity in Kirkuk

Kurdistan 11:33 AM - 2023-08-10

The Province of Kirkuk

For the upcoming elections for the provincial council, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) has decided to visit the Kurdish parties in Kirkuk and seek a single Kurdish list.

 

The PUK has always taken the lead

Hasiba Abdullah, a member of the PUK's Leadership Council in Kirkuk Province, told PUKMEDIA: "Due to its perception of the threat posed by efforts to obliterate Kirkuk's Kurdish identity, the PUK has usually taken the lead in advocating for a lone Kurdish voice in the disputed areas."

"The PUK asked the Kurdish parties to come together in a broad coalition without any restrictions and solely for the benefit of the Kurds in Kirkuk, but the Kurdish parties rejected the PUK's proposal for a variety of reasons and even formed an alliance with other communities in Kirkuk that was hostile to the Kurds," she added.

Abdullah continued, "The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) is ready to establish a coalition with other communities in Kirkuk while maintaining its stance of not aligning with other Kurdish parties, particularly the PUK, which holds the majority vote in the city. Since the KDP has never stopped trying to break up the Kurdish presence in Kirkuk, they bear full responsibility for any unrest that may arise there.

 

The KDP prioritizes party interests

The KDP puts party interests first in Kirkuk, ignoring the province even during times of upheaval, and its efforts are primarily aimed at dividing the Kurdish community. 

Rawand Malla Mahmoud, the head of the PUK's Kirkuk headquarters, stated to PUKMEDIA, "The KDP is playing a bad game in Kirkuk to fragment the Kurdish voice and advance its own objectives. Also, it has been observed that the KDP has taken over the Kirkuk Operational Command building for its Parastin operations, and it is now making alliances with political groups that the KDP called traitors. 

"The KDP only has Kirkuk in mind when it benefits itself. Its cadres have only seen Kirkuk as a source of income over the last five years, and they have always thought that fleeing is the best course of action when things go tough," he added.

 

PUK Election Agency: Our efforts were in vain

Regarding Kurdish unity in the disputed areas, the PUK Election Agency released the following statement: "The PUK exhibited remarkable adaptability and made numerous sacrifices in pursuit of unity and the establishment of a unified Kurdish electoral list in the disputed areas. However, despite these sincere efforts, the result was futile." 

"The PUK has not taken a firm stance on any political party regarding the formation of a broad coalition for the Kurdish parties in Kirkuk." This alliance is being pursued without restrictions. The primary objective of the PUK has been to secure the greatest number of Kurdish votes in contested areas, according to the statement.

 

 

PUKMEDIA