PUK leadership shaken by the Movement for Democratic Change
- KurdishMedia.com
- 11/10/2008 00:00:00
London (KurdishMedia.com) 10 October 2008: In a statement issued by the PUK leadership in their meeting on Friday, the four founding members of the Movement For Democratic Change or RAG were sacked from the PUK and deprived from their membership for life.
The four founding members of the Movement For Democratic Change or RAG were sacked by the PUK leadership, after their declaration as a reformist movement within the PUK on the 7th October 2008. The statement issued after the PUK leadership met, on Friday, to discuss the issue of the RAG in their meeting in the city of Sulemani.
Immediately after the declaration, Faud Masum, the member of the PUK politburo, attempted to dismiss the RAG’s move by stating, to the media outlets, that the four founders of the RAG are in London and have no effect in Kurdistan. However, after the news sank down and the PUK leadership realised the seriousness of the challenge that they face from RAG, the politburo issued a decree sacking all four founding members from the organisation, Shorish Haji, Mala Khidir Mamend, Haval Kustani and Hishyar Abid.
KurdishMedia.com discussed the issue with Kurdish political circle and the majority of the views is that this shows the weakness of the PUK leadership. It is widely believed that the RAG (Kurdish for root), as the name implies, is deeply rooted in the PUK organisation and sacking the four founding members can only be a symbolic move, which serves no purpose except further isolation of the PUK leadership; the RAG described as corrupt and demands their resignation.
KurdishMedia.com was told by a pro-reformist, on condition of anonymity, in the city of Sulemani via telephone, “The PUK leadership statement is in a very poor status and offers nothing new. The language is very primitive and outdated and it is inaccurate. For example, the PUK claims that the RAG are organising a coupe de ta, and establish a wing to work against the PUK. The RAG’s declaration does not state that they are organising a coupe de ta and they do not regard themselves as a wing within the PUK.”
The RAG made it clear in their declaration and in their London launch meeting, in which KurdishMedia.com was present, that they are a socio-political movement working to reform the PUK. In a reply to KurdishMedia.com question, the founding members stated that they are neither another PUK; nor another wing within the PUK, only a political movement within the PUK.
KurdishMedia.com discussed the PUK statement with one of the founding members of RAG Shorish Haji, who stated that they shall response to the PUK leadership’s statement after consulting their supporters and partner organisations.
The battle of reformist vs corruption no doubt will go on.
- KurdishMedia.com
- 11/10/2008 00:00:00