What Will Iraq's Elections Mean For the Kurds?

WASHINGTON, Mar 2, 2010 (IPS) -- In the run-up to Iraq's parliamentary elections next week, the once-united Kurds are not only suffering deep fissures but are expected to lose their privileged kingmaker position after the polls.

This lack of unity coupled with the rise of several strong coalitions in the rest of the country may lead to the decline of Kurdish power and influence in Iraqi politics, experts say.

For the last seven years, Kurds maintained a united bloc in Baghdad, leading to an unprecedented ascendency of Kurdish power. As a result, for the first time since the establishment of the modern Iraqi state in the 1920s, Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, became Iraq's president. Iraqi constitution granted Kurds extensive rights, especially in the area of self-rule.

But unlike the two previous elections in post-war Iraq, after the upcoming polls, Kurds may no longer enjoy an influence on par with the past years.

"… I don't think Kurds are very well positioned coming into this election," said Kathleen Ridolfo, an independent Arab affairs' analyst, during an Iraq event at the American Enterprise Institute on Monday.

"(Their influence in Baghdad) depends on how well they can play their cards and who will they align with. Kurds are definitely in a difficult position," she said.

The internal Kurdish divisions crystallised last July when various opposition groups emerged victorious from Iraqi Kurdistan's regional parliamentary elections, securing nearly 30 percent of the seats. The main reason behind the opposition's birth was growing discontent with the two major Kurdish parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).

The PUK is led by Talabani, and Masoud Barzani, the current president of the Kurdistan region, heads the KDP. The two parties run the Kurdish government which is in charge of the three northern provinces of Irbil, Sulaimaniya and Dohuk in northern Iraq.

The major opposition group is Gorran, or Change, a secular group whose founders were mostly senior officials who defected from Talabani's PUK. Gorran succeeded in gaining large popularity in local Kurdish elections through an anti-corruption platform that appealed to many people. The other main opposition party is the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU), a moderate Islamist organization.

The atmosphere is reportedly tense in Iraqi Kurdistan these days, with various groups accusing each other of campaign violations and "undemocratic acts". Gorran has severely criticzed the two ruling parties, in particular the PUK, and charged they are intimidating and assaulting supporters.

Many Kurds fear such small incidents may lead to some serious violence. Kurdistan underwent a bloody civil war from 1994 to 1998 that left thousands dead.

Although the KDP and PUK are officially allies on the same list, a fierce competition is also taking place between them under the surface. Alongside several small parties, the KDP and PUK have formed the Kurdistan Alliance list for these elections, but each party campaigns mostly for its own candidates.

Because the PUK lost its stronghold of Sulaimaniya to Gorran during the local Kurdish elections last summer, it is vital for PUK to gain enough seats so that it can present itself as an equal partner to KDP once again. After the local Kurdish vote in summer, KDP emerged as the most powerful Kurdish party. Any major loss in these elections for PUK will seriously hurt its position in Kurdish and Iraqi politics.

Many in Iraq and outside wonder how the current divisions among Kurds will reflect on their role and influence in Baghdad in the next four years. With the U.S. troops scheduled to leave Iraq by the end of 2011, many Kurds fear their possible lack of power in Baghdad will mean they will have an extremely hard time dealing with other Iraqi groups.