20 April، 2017
The week of Al-Rafidain started with an analytical reading of the atmosphere of writing the constitution regarding the Article 140 and the disputed areas. Afterwards, there was a discussion about Kirkuk’s oil, for being the tool that determines the fate of this province, while some considered it as a tool that increases the complexity of the problems because the oil and gas law has not been approved yet. Moreover, there is a question about the increased population in Kirkuk and whether the Kurds are behind it, and answers pointed out that 60,000 families were not proven to be from Kirkuk, while they are within the voter registration. Furthermore, discussion has been made about the invitation to seek support from the UN to identify the political identity of Kirkuk, and the question about the form of agreement between Kirkuk’s Arabs and Turkmens, if we assume that the Kurds are out of Kirkuk’s equation.

 

In addition, the Anfal crime was recalled for being one of the most heinous crimes ever that had been committed by the former regime against the Kurds, and the emerging problem of the absence of the founding leaders in the Iraqi scene. Also, discussions included resolving the issue of the possessions of the previous regime’s leaderships by the parliament, the effect of changing the Turkish constitution on the region in general and Iraq in particular, and the endorsement of the bold move of Sayyid Muqtada Al-Sadr in dissolving the economic authority in the Sadrist Trend, although some think that it came late. Besides, reference was made to the harmony between the components of the National Alliance despite their different directions. Some comments were made about the provincial council elections act and the non-adoption of the individual election basis.

 

 

 

Conclusions:

 

·         There is a huge disparity in the views related to Kirkuk issue, which complicates its overall picture and prevents any scientific solution for the existing problem related to it.

 

·         There is a significant delay in resolving the files related to the former regime, which creates a state of unwanted flabbiness in the government procedures related to those files.

 

·         Dissolving the parties’ economic authorities or institutions is the first step of strengthening the Iraqi state’s institutions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recommendations:

 

·         National effort should be made to develop one vision of Kirkuk issue, supported by frank and clear laws and legislations.

 

·         The government should form committees that deal with resolving the files of the former regime and all that related to it, so that we close its chapter once and for all.

 

·         The political parties should work on strengthening the state’s bodies and institutions in all possible ways and means to achieve the desired state’s institutions.

 

 

 

Definition of Term:

 

Political Color: it is the color adopted by a party or political movement, officially or unofficially as a unique symbol. For instance, many leftist or communist movements adopted the red color as their symbol.

 

 

 

Names of some participating members during the week’s dialogue:

 

1.      Dr. Basel Al-Hussein

 

2.      Dr. Mohamed Tamim

 

3.      Abdul Hakim Khasro

 

4.      Mr. Shwan Dawoodi

 

5.      Dr. Harith Hasan

 

6.      Dr. Ahmad Jamal

 

7.      Sheikh Sabah Al-Saedi

 

8.      Mr. Srwa Abdulwahid

 

9.      Dr. Khalid Al-Yaqoubi

 

10.  Mr. Ahmed Al-Rikabi