Dynastic politics of Barzani family is a threat to Kurdistan

Dynastic politics of Barzani family is a threat to democracy — Nechirvan Idris Barzani (R) with his cousin Masrour Massoud Barzani, Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, April 2018. Photo: Rudaw

Araz Barwari | Exclusive to iKurd.net

Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) has nominated dynastic politicians of Barzani family for one more time in raw to grab the power and hold the most important posts in KRG government in Iraq.

Nechirvan Barzani haven been nominated to the pot of president of the Kurdistan Region and Masrour Barzani for prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

Nechirvan has already served as prime minister of the KRG for around 10 years, while Masrour has been serving as Chancellor of the Kurdistan Region Security Council for last several years.

While it might not be possible to ban dynastic politicians from the same family who continually stand for election and become public office holders through democratic means, because such a move would be against the right to freedom of participating in politics, but dynastic politicians who are elected democratically to the office, must be put under tight control and check or else they can easily abuse their power and work in the interest of their own dynasty rather than serve the nation in general.

It has been proven historically that dynastic political families are nepotistic and autocratic by nature and their rule often lead to dictatorship and corruption. When they have ultimate power and rule, they usually take the wealth of the nation for themselves and would keep the people poor so that they remain subservient and loyal to the dynasty and as a result the rulers become rich and wealthy, whereas the country remains undeveloped and the people are kept poor.

And if their power is not kept under check by a strong independent judiciary, an effective parliament and opposition political parties, the dynastic rulers will continue abusing people, their power and work for the interests of their own dynasty or political party rather in the interests of the whole population and country in general.

Now, the rule of political dynastic families may differ from one place to other depending the quality of democracy and rule of law. For example, the John F. Kennedy‘s politicians in USA were a dynastic political family too, but they did not abuse their power when they became presidents of United States of America because, first the U.S. has strong democratic institutions, among them an excellent independent and credible judiciary that leaves no room for dynastic or none dynastic politicians to abuse their power when they are elected to the office.

The quality of democracy and rule of law is very high and effective in the government institutions that continually check to see if there is abuse of power both during electoral campaigns and after them. And second because dynastic politicians of Kennedy family proved themselves to be decent politicians who would work for the citizens. And truly enough, they did work for the betterment of USA and in the interests of the citizens.

They did not misuse and abuse their power for their own benefits when they became president of United States. Whereas in a place like Kurdistan of Iraq a dynastic political family like Barzani only worked together for their own dynasty, political party and at corruption and at using their power to stay in power since they started serving as president and prime minister of Kurdistan regional government in Iraq.

The political dynasty of Barzani family has been ruling over Kurdistan of Iraq through their political party, The Kurdistan Democratic Party, (KDP) for more than two decades. They come to power through elections but they do not practice democratic values when after they win the offices of government.

And Kurdistan regional government under the rule of President Massoud Barzani and his nephew prime minister Nechirvan Barzani did not work in the interests of people, neither did work in consistent with international human rights, norms and standards. It is rather remind socially and economically undeveloped, and ruled by old dictatorship criminal code of Iraq such as article 226 which is against article 19 of universal human rights charter.

Weak rule of law and lack of good governance still pose a major threat to social and economic development in Kurdistan of Iraq. The corrupt rule of Barzani family has hindered progress and development in Iraqi Kurdistan because the politicians of this dynastic family have mostly worked to enrich themselves and treated the government as their own property. As a result the employment and poverty remained high and public serves and infrastructure is very poor.

In fact, Kurdistan region of Iraq is one of the places in the world where people suffer from the lack of true meaningful democracy, freedom of speech, press and protection from hostile secret government agents. People, mainly journalists suffer from freedom of speech because in Kurdistan and Iraq in general, there is lacks of practical action and national legislation guaranteeing safety of free minds that criticize the government or that tend to have access to government information.

The reason that dynastic Barzani politicians are standing elections and getting elected and reelected on and on and to the most important posts of the Kurdistan regional government is not because they are dying to serve people of Kurdistan or they are the only people who can govern the nation in the best possible way.

It is rather because Barzani family politicians have been accused of corruption and serious human rights violations in Kurdistan of Iraq. They seem to be worried about giving power over to their opponents because they are worried about being prosecuted, and so, ensuring that close family members pick up the mantle is perhaps the only way to ensure long-term security.

KDP party is a single family ruled party by Barzani clan. They run the party like their own business enterprise. And the history proves that whoever opposes the Barzani family’s leadership in KDP has to suffer later. The allegiance and interest are first given to the Barzani family, and not to the voters who sent them to the Parliament.

The Barzani family expects the party office bearers and ministers, most of security and Peshmerga forces of Kurdistan show complete surrender or loyalty to them. Any breach only will be faced with dismissal or resignation. All those who could not confirm to their dictate have left the party. Because even knowing that what they are doing is wrong they cannot do anything to change that without risking their political career, jobs and their lives.

KDP party is led by dynastic leaders. Barzani Family controls the party and makes all the decisions for the party members and its policies. No other leader to be projected as a President and Prime Minister except from Barzani family which is something a cause of worry.

Unlike the strong democratic system of government in United States of America that keep dynastic and none dynastic politicians under check, the dynastic political family of Barzani control the judiciary, most of security forces, most of the parliament and executive branch in Kurdistan regional government.

And all members who serve in these institutions of the government are loyal to Barzani family and have been appointed by Barzani family. So under the circumstances who is going to keep dynastic politicians of Barzani family under scrutiny and strict check to make sure they do not abuse their power when they are elected to office as president and prime minister of Kurdistan?

Araz Barwari is a law student at the University of Nawroz in Kurdistan of Iraq.

The opinions are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of iKurd.net or its editors.