Mohammed Amin Abdulqadir

ARBIL, Iraq – Tensions between ethnic and religious groups have been rising in Iraq ahead of the elections Thursday. The vote wile be the third in less than a year, and the last step in the current process of political transition to a democratic government. Unlike the Jan. 30 elections this year, Sunni Arabs are … Continue reading “Iraq Election Arrives Amid Tension and Hope”

ARBIL – Despite the signing of a draft constitution by the Iraqi constitutional panel comprising mainly Shi’ite and Kurdish leaders, Sunnis are still seeking amendments to the text. Iraqi leaders agreed to a common text Sunday, but did not send it to parliament for ratification. They said it would be put to referendum directly Oct. … Continue reading “Sunnis Hard to Include, Harder to Leave Out”

ARBIL, Iraq – The two main Kurdish parties have still not reached agreement on setting up a regional government and parliament after elections held Jan. 30. In that election Kurds voted for the National Assembly and also for a 111-seat regional parliament. A coalition comprising the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of … Continue reading “Kurds Still Without Govt After January Poll”

ARBIL – Two years and three elections after the fall of the Saddam regime, Kurdistan is taking shape as a nation within a nation. Kurds voted Jan. 30 for the Iraqi National Assembly, for a Kurdish parliament, and for local government through the governorate councils. That does not all add up to independence, but it … Continue reading “A Nation Within a Nation Takes Shape”