The Ill-Fated Referendum and the Debacle in Bashur (Southern/Iraqi Kurdistan.
Abbas Vali

The following is the English original text of the interview with Duvar in early December 2017 https:.gazeteduvar.com.tr/gundem/2017/12/10/abbas-vali-kurtlerin-bilge-bir-lidere-ihtiyaci-var/ Q1-Mr. Vali, we are here to talk about the independence referendum in South Kurdistan and the latest developments. But first, we will begin with the referendum. The views of the dynamics in southern Kurdistan were ignored when it was decided to go to the ballot box. Now it seems that that was not the right attitude. So Why do you think that the decision for the independence referendum was taken despite the opposition? A 1. The referendum was a personal decision made for specific political reason. The DAESH had been defeated and Mr Barzani needed to consolidate his power before the advent of the new era in Iraqi and regional politics. He was aware of the fact that the post-DAESH era will be grounded in a new balance of forces and this meant a new configuration of powers in the Middle East in general and Iraq and Syria in particular. Barzani and his foreign and domestic advisors knew that the restoration of sovereign power in Iraq was on the agenda and that Iran will play a key and decisive role in it. It was clear that the Iranian backed sovereign state in the post crisis Iraq will display very strong centralising tendencies, directly encroaching on the authority of the Kurdish Regional Government in Erbil, and internal conflicts and territorial disputes were very likely. In order to be able to deal with these conditions he also needed to consolidate his power and boost his legitimacy which had been seriously damaged and were in decline since 2014. The KRG under the leadership of Mr Barzani had embarked on avowedly illegal processes and practices in order to save and protect his authority in the face of rising internal opposition and discontent. These acts, exemplified by the forced closure of the parliament, the exclusion of democratically elected ministers from the government, silencing critical journalists and academics and imposition of restriction on the freedom of speech and assembly, had seriously damaged the basis of his political legitimacy. It was no longer possible to claim democratic legitimacy when the legal foundation of his power had been eroded. In a parliamentary system legality of power is the measure of the legitimacy of power. But Mr Barzani extended his presidency without the consent of the parliament which the principal law making body in the system. This means that for the past 2 years his presidency was not legal and therefore not legitimate.. [1]