Reflections on the Kurdish Referendum
As Kurds begin to feel a greater sense of nationhood, the autonomy of Kurdistan has become more important to this ethnic population in the northern provinces of Iraq. After the devastating atrocities in the Iran-Iraq war, Kurdistan has become a successful region, rich in oil and productive in governmental functions.
Recently, the Kurdish Regional Government conducted a referendum asking whether the Kurdish people would like to be independent or not. Over 90% of Kurds voted for independence. The referendum was non-binding, and was only intended to be used as a talking point, when negotiating with the Iraqi Government.
Even though many have said that this ‘isn’t the right time,’ I believe that the Kurds deserve independence, and they need it now. The Kurdish people have been suppressed by the Iraqi majority for long enough. They have also shown that they can form a competent government, displaying some of the freest elections that can be seen in the region. The addition of Kurdistan may even help bring stability to the region over the long run.
During the Iran-Iraq war, the Kurds ended up siding with the Iranians against Saddam Hussein. Hussein responded with chemical weapons and the death of at least 50,000. Even though some reparations, particularly increased autonomy for Kurdistan, nothing can excuse this. For both countries to function without splitting, it would take a great deal of work. The reparations that Iraq can make will never wipe away the Kurdish national grief from that awful genocide. The differences between these two peoples are to major and too many to stay together.
From the beginning, it was made clear that the referendum was only a talking point for Iraqi-Kurdish negotiations, and was, as aforementioned, non-binding. Baghdad’s response to the referendum, unnecessary violence and threats, show that whatever promises that Iraq can make will not be upheld. Cuts that run that deep cannot be healed.
Iraq is broken up into semi-autonomous regions, Kurdistan being one of them, each with control of a few provinces. With many exceptions, these regions are in charge on domestic affairs and the government in Baghdad oversees international affairs. The Kurdish Regional Government has shown that it can function well on its own, and although the international community has been making it hard, Kurdistan’s relationships with the US and Russia may be good candidates for strong allies. The Kurds have even been able to send their own troops to fight against ISIS, the Peshmerga, which have been quite successful in their fight against the terrorist organization.
Also, with some criticisms, just as any government has, the national elections in Kurdistan have been some of the fairest in the region. The people vote directly for president, that’s it. There is very little evidence that elections are ever tampered with, so an independent Kurdistan would represent its people fairly and equally, which may help bring a wave of stability to the region.
Although the Iraqi military has complicated the situation, the Kurds still deserve their independence. The invasion of Kirkuk, threats from Ankara, and ISIS are all going to hurtles for the Kurds to jump over. It’s going to be tough, but we can’t make the Kurds wait any longer. The referendum may affect all of us, whether it’s in the oil market or in the military, but our concerns aren’t greater than the Kurdish concerns. Our oil prices are not more important than the lives of innocent Kurds.