Gorran Movement

Movement for Change
بزوتنه‌وه‌ی‌ گۆڕان
Bzutinewey‌ Gorran
Leader Omar Said Ali
Founder Nawshirwan Mustafa
Founded 2009
Split from Patriotic Union of Kurdistan[1]
Headquarters Sulaymaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan
Ideology Secularism
Kurdish nationalism
Social liberalism[2]
Political position Centre to centre-left
Colors Blue
Council of Representatives of Iraq
5 / 329
Kurdistan Parliament
24 / 111
Website
gorran.net
Iraqi Kurdistan
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Iraqi Kurdistan

The Gorran Movement (literally: Movement for Change) (Kurdish: Bizûtinewey‌ Gorran / بزووتنەوەی گۆڕان‎) or just Gorran (Change) is an Iraqi Kurdish political party[3] under the leadership of Omar Said Ali, founded in 2009 by Nawshirwan Mustafa, it is the official opposition to the ruling two-party coalition of the Kurdistan Democratic Party and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (Kurdistan List) which governs the Kurdistan Regional Government.

Formation

According to the BBC Gorran had "already shaken the political landscape in Kurdish areas" in March 2010.[4] Support for the Movement for Change "stems from the simple fact that it is the new, dynamic, fresh option in Kurdistan"[5] and its "calls for an end to monopoly control of power".[6] One of Gorran's main objectives is to "uproot rampant corruption".[7] The party is particularly popular with the youth of Kurdistan and campaigns against patronage.[8] It consists of a mix of (former) PUK/KDP members, Peshmerga, and academics.[9] Gorran supporters have often faced "violent intimidation".[10] Gorran have stated in The Economist that "the KDP and PUK have done a poor job of promoting the Kurds’ interests at the federal parliament in Baghdad".[11] The party in the 2009 and 2010 elections "won in the city and the province of Sulaimaniyah".[12]

History

Iraqi Kurdistan parliamentary election, 2009

The movement's platform for the 2009 election was to de-politicise the regional government, strengthen the judiciary, limit political interference in the economy and make the budget more transparent. Supporting federalism for Iraqi Kurdistan, it said disputes with the central government could be solved through dialogue based on the Iraqi Constitution.[13]

The Change List won a total of 25 seats in the July 2009 elections,[14] making it the second-most successful list in the election after the Kurdistani List. The party viewed the election results as a huge victory.

Iraqi parliamentary election, 2010

Considered to be the main opposition to Kurdistan List, particularly in areas dominated by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. The campaign focused on addressing what it sees as corruption undertaken by the Kurdistan Democratic Party and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. It managed to win eight seats.

2011 Kurdish protests in Iraq

In 2011 the party called for the resignation of the Cabinet and the disbanding of the Kurdistan Regional Government during the protests in Kurdistan that followed the 2011 Egyptian protests.[15] This was accompanied by protests against the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Kurdistan Democratic Party.[16][17][18] Some have criticized the party for causing unnecessary unrest, arguing that there is no need for the Kurdish government to step down.[19] Amnesty International and the Human Rights Watch have urged protests to be allowed. February 17, 2011, Human Rights Watch reported security guards firing on protesters in Sulaimaniya, killing at least one person and wounding more than 33 others after the crowd threw rocks at the political headquarters of the KDP.[20] Since there were shootings which led to deaths, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch called for an independent investigation into the killings.[21][22][20]

Party structure

Following death of the party leader, Nawshirwan Mustafa, in May 2017 an internal ballot was held to elect a new executive body.[23]

  • Omar Said Ali, leader of Gorran
  • Mohammad Tofiq Rahim, the Secretary of Gorran's Internal Chambers.
  • Jamal Haji Mohammed, national assembly
  • Rauf Osman, public assembly
  • Jalal Jawhar, the Secretary of Parliament's Factions.
  • Othman Haji Mahmoud, the Secretary of Gorran's Regional Representatives.
  • Shorish Haji, the Secretary of Gorran's Public Relations.

National Assembly

Jamal Mohammed, head of the national Assembly of Gorran, the National Assembly (Jivat), the leaders of Gorran blocs in Iraqi and Kurdish parliaments, directors of Gorran departments, district officials and representatives who were successful in Gorran’s internal elections.[24]

References

  1. ↑ "Centrist Kurdish Groups Emerge in Northern Iraq", The Weekly Middle East Reporter, 20 February 2010
  2. ↑ "PKK Challenges Barzani In Iraqi Kurdistan - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East". al-monitor.com. Retrieved 2016-02-07.
  3. ↑ "Goran opposition movement becomes political party". medyanews.com. January 21, 2010. Retrieved October 22, 2011.
  4. ↑ "New Kurdish party to challenge polls". BBC News. Retrieved 2011-02-01.
  5. ↑ "Up on the Hill is where you'll find us". blog.fpc.org.uk. March 2010. Archived from the original on August 3, 2011. Retrieved October 22, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Reformist gains in Kurdish vote shake Iraq's quiet north". The Independent. Retrieved 2009-07-27.
  7. ↑ "Goran leaves Iraq's Kurdish alliance with less clout". Al Arabiya. Retrieved 2011-02-01.
  8. ↑ Iraq and the United States: creating a strategic partnership - Google Books. Books.google.co.uk. 2009-09-01. Retrieved 2011-10-20.
  9. ↑ "Gains Seen for Kurdish Challengers". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-07-27.
  10. ↑ "Kurdish Iraq: An Emerging Success". CBS News. Retrieved 2011-02-01.
  11. ↑ "The Kurdish way". The Economist. Retrieved 2011-02-01.
  12. ↑ "Change the Kurds can believe in". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2011-02-01.
  13. ↑ "Kurdish election lists". Niqash.org. 30 June 2009. Archived from the original on 27 July 2011.
  14. ↑ Dagher, Sam (26 July 2009). "Iraqi Kurds come out to vote in high numbers". The San Francisco Chronicle.
  15. ↑ "KurdishMedia.com: News about Kurds and Kurdistan". kurdmedia.com. Archived from the original on 2014-04-19. Retrieved 2014-05-27.
  16. ↑ "Iraqis protest in Kurdish region, capital". Reuters. 19 February 2011.
  17. ↑ "Tonårig demonstrant dödad i Irak - Nyheter | SVT.se". svt.se. Archived from the original on 2012-10-09. Retrieved 2014-05-27.
  18. ↑ https://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5gvqM5KohOmVipuRKfb39gRT968oQ?docId=6029572
  19. ↑ "The page you requested was not found". Archived from the original on 2011-02-13. Retrieved 2014-05-27.
  20. 1 2 "Iraq: Investigate Protester Deaths | Human Rights Watch". hrw.org. Retrieved 2014-05-27.
  21. ↑ thomas yocum. "Document - Iraq: Authorities in Iraq urged to allow peaceful protests | Amnesty International". amnesty.org. Archived from the original on 2012-10-07. Retrieved 2014-05-27.
  22. ↑ "Iraq: Restraint urged in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq following protester deaths | Amnesty International". amnesty.org. Retrieved 2014-05-27.
  23. ↑ "Gorran chooses Omar Said Ali as Nawshirwan's successor, Iraqi Kurdistan". Archived from the original on 2017-08-03. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
  24. ↑ "Rudaw". Archived from the original on 2012-11-27. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
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