Rubin: Will Kurdish Democracy Follow Iran’s Path?

Iraqi Kurds will vote in long-postponed provincial elections on July 25. Michael Rubin writes in the Daily Star that Iraqi Kurds are impatient for reform in a political landscape that has witnessed a decline in democracy, as nepotism and corruption have overtaken the political landscape. This anxious political climate means that long-established Kurdish parties and leaders, Massoud Barzani and President Jalal Talibani will face “serious local opposition” in the elections.

In response to discontent, open election lists have been closed. Moreover, intimidation has also riled the opposition, leading to clashes with security forces. Rubin draws parallels between recent Iranian politics and the emerging strife in northern Iraq, asking whether “Iraqi Kurds will stand up for freedom and liberty as have the Iranian protesters, and if the Iraqi Kurdish security forces will, like their Iranian counterparts, use the point of a gun and midnight roundups to disenfranchise a deserving people.”