من الحزب

Iraqi Communist Party warns against the consequences of using force and renews call for dialogue to resolve the current crisis in Iraq

The Iraqi Communist Party renewed its call on Monday 16 October 2017 on all Iraqi political parties to resort to dialogue based on the Constitution to resolve the current crisis with the Kurdistan region.
While expressing concern about the development of events in Kirkuk and the disputed areas, and its repercussions on citizens, it expressed regret over the use of force as a result of inflexible positions.
Raid Fahmi, the Secretary of the Central Committee of the party, said in a statement to the daily newspaper “Tareeq Al-Shaab”: “We understand the demand of the Federal Government that the situation in the province of Kirkuk should be restored to what it was before 9th June 2014, and we consider it legitimate.” But he stressed that” this should have been done through dialogue and agreement with the local authorities and the Kurdistan regional authorities, and in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.”
He explained that "we have already warned of the risks of holding the referendum that was conducted by the authorities of the Kurdistan region under the circumstances experienced by the country. We stressed that it will further complicate the situation and will have very serious implications for the situation in the Kurdistan region in particular, in Iraq in general and for the overall political process.”
Fahmi added that these fears have been confirmed “in the crisis caused by the referendum, the big internal, regional and international opposition which it received, and the resulting severe tension in the political scene.” He noted that "the Party had called for addressing the crisis by adopting a dialogue approach within the framework of the Constitution and abandoning obstinance and narrow outlook.”
He said that the developments in Kirkuk have taken a disturbing turn when the Federal Government embarked on a process of extending its control over the areas that had been vacated by the federal army and police in 2014, through a military operation that has not yet faced resistance but has led to hundreds of families in the province leaving and heading towards the cities of Sulaymaniyah and Arbil for fear of possible military clashes and reprisals by uncontrolled elements and forces.”
He expressed his regret that "rigidity and hardening of positions has led to resorting to the logic of force in this regard."
Fahmi stressed that "these developments, and the possible grave repercussions, lead us to emphasize the need for all the Iraqi political parties to rely on reason, wisdom and peaceful dialogue in dealing with the crisis.”
He warned against "inflaming the sentiments of chauvinism and nationalist intolerance” and called for efforts “to prevent the outbreak of flames of war that could extend to threaten the entire political process.” He recalled "the common history baptized with blood and sacrifices of the Arab and Kurdish peoples.”
Fahmi reiterated the position of the Iraqi Communist Party that "no action should be taken that could constitute a punishment for the citizens and toilers of the Kurdistan region.”
He also stressed the need for "relying on national efforts to meet the challenges, away from external interference.”
“There is no sustainable solution other than dialogue," he added.
On the other hand, Raid Fahmi pointed out that "the roots of this explosive crisis lies in the policy of sectarian quotas which the influential ruling blocs, Arab and Kurdish, contributed to consolidating in order to preserve their privileges.”
He concluded by saying that "we will not find an end to this cascade of crises, and Iraq will not regain its security, stability and national fabric, without abandoning this policy and moving ahead towards building a democratic civil state based on social justice, which guarantees the rights of the diverse nationalities and constituents of our people in a federal Iraq under the banners of democracy.”